West Brom injury news: Carlos Corberan provides updates on Okay Yokuslu and Kyle Bartley
Carlos Corberan has refused to rule out West Brom midfielder Okay Yokuslu from the club’s upcoming match against Sunderland but admitted Kyle Bartley would be unlikely to feature.
The Turkish midfielder has been missing from West Brom’s last four Championship matches, in which they have picked up seven points, but Corberan is hopeful he will be able to call upon him at some point during the club’s jam-packed upcoming schedule.
The Baggies are set to play three matches in the space of six days, all against sides in the promotion mix, with home games against Sunderland (23 April) and Norwich City (29 April) sandwiched by a tough trip to Sheffield United (26 April).
As reported by Birmingham Live after the Baggies’ 2-0 win against Blackpool on Tuesday night (18 April), Corberan remained hopeful, without getting carried away, that Yokuslu and Bartley could return at some point over the coming week and a half.
“Unfortunately I cannot give you the answer,” Corberan said about Yokuslu.
“I would like to say yes, or no, but I don’t know yet. We need to wait the next two days to see how he arrives in training. Now there aren’t too many weeks to wait, hopefully we recover him for the next week because we have three games in a week.
“It means that we are going to need players to cover the needs of these types of games. Let’s see how he reacts to this.”
On the injury to Bartley, he added: “For the next one, Sunderland, I don’t think so, but maybe for the one during the week, or the last one of the week, hopefully yes.”
Bare bones
Somehow West Brom are still well in the mix for a Championship promotion this season despite the ever-growing injury list Corberan has to deal with.
Nathaniel Chalobah was the latest Baggies player to be struck down with an injury during the crucial victory against Blackpool, picking up what could be a serious ankle ligament injury.
If Chalobah is ruled out for a significant period of time, the fitness of Yokuslu in the middle of the park could be imperative.
The Turkish midfield had been an ever-present in Corberan’s West Brom outfit since the manager arrived at The Hawthorns before New Year, and his absence has been telling over the past four games.
Hopefully, Yokuslu, along with Bartley, will be fit to help West Brom continue their late surge for a top-six spot.
There can’t be any slowing down in the race for promotion, and Corberan’s side must keep their foot firmly on the accelerator as the pressure continues to rise.
In other West Brom news, Player to get first start since October – West Brom predicted XI v Blackpool.