Kyle Bartley can have last laugh at West Brom after Dara O’Shea injury news revealed
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan cut a subdued figure when talking about the season-ending injury Dara O’Shea sustained during the international break, but for one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.
The Baggies centre-back picked up a knee injury in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to France on Monday (27 March), with Corberan revealing in his press conference on Friday that O’Shea would miss the remainder of the season. [Birmingham Live, 31 March]
However, away from the major headline news was an update that centre-back Kyle Bartley had returned to full first team training.
The 31-year-old hasn’t featured for the Baggies since before the Qatar World Cup after picking up a string of ill-timed injuries, but it seems like he has finally built his fitness up to the stage where he could start for the first team again.
With Bartley’s contract expiring at the end of the season and no news surfacing on a renewal, large portions of the West Brom faithful would be quite right in thinking that they wouldn’t see the centre-back take to the Hawthorns pitch ever again.
Earlier in the season, the Englishman came under fire from large portions of the media for the Baggies’ terrible start to the Championship season under Steve Bruce, making several defensive mistakes in key matches against the likes of local rivals Birmingham City.
However, having cut a different figure in the opening few matches of Corberan’s reign in November, including goals in consecutive games against QPR and Stoke City, now could be the time for Bartley to step into the limelight once more.
The centre-back could well have the last laugh in West Brom’s fight for promotion to the Premier League, with Semi Ajayi also out injured at the moment and few other defensive options at Corberan’s disposal.
Albion sit five points off the playoffs with nine games of their season remaining, and Bartley has the chance to prove himself as the unlucky saviour of their season.
In other West Brom news, a defender may never feature for the club again after what happened and may even leave for free.