Nathaniel Chalobah injury update as Kyle Bartley trained Friday – Early West Brom team news vs Sunderland
Nathaniel Chalobah is ruled out for West Brom with ankle ligament damage but Kyle Bartley is a contender to return to face Sunderland, Carlos Corberan has revealed.
The January midfield signing was taken off in the win over Blackpool to be replaced by goalscorer Taylor Gardner-Hickman, and could miss the rest of the league campaign, although Corberan stopped short of ruling him out that far.
Okay Yokuslu remains out as well for the visit of the Black Cats, while Reyes Cleary’s “very serious injury” keeps him sidelined, but veteran defender Bartley may be fit enough to see some action for the first time in three games having trained on Friday (21 April).
The Baggies boss said in his pre-match press conference, as per Joe Chapman of Birmingham Live: “Unfortunately with Chalobah the news is not positive. It’s a small, serious injury, so not a more serious injury. He is going to be in a boot for one week from the injury.
“He has small damage in the foot, so we need to still wait for the next week with the boot and after let’s see how he will react. Normally it’s an injury of around three weeks, but the last week or 10 days is more about the pain management of the player and how the ligament recovers from the injury. So we are going to wait and until the next week I cannot say any more about any update.”
On Bartley he said: “If he can make the full training he can be one of the options, everything is about how he reacts from training today until training tomorrow. If he can train tomorrow then hopefully he can keep up full training because you can only be involved if you complete full training the day before.”
Back on trac
Just when it looked like the Albion had run out of steam this season, with the growing injuries seemingly insurmountable, those who are left standing have put together seven points from nine and put the club back in with a shout.
One point outside the playoff places and with a game in hand on everyone around them aside from Blackburn in sixth, if Corberan can keep this revival on track with a result at The Hawthorns on Sunday (23 April) then there is every chance of sneaking in.
If the Spaniard has enough players actually available to him to sustain West Brom through the final weeks of the season then it appears there is fight left yet.
With the Black Cats just a point behind and unbeaten in their last six Championship fixtures it is the sort of clash that will go a long way to deciding how the season ends.
The attacking options have been dwindling for weeks, and the latest blow to Daryl Dike is enough to make any side feel cursed, but Brandon Thomas-Asante found the net in the 2-0 win over Blackpool in midweek (18 April), and otherwise goals from the likes of Jayson Molumby and Gardner-Hickman will do.
It is looking like being a matter of by any means necessary for the run in as Corberan and his players adapt to problems on the hop, but the last week has shown that they certainly haven’t given up yet.
In other West Brom news, there are fears over long-term lasting effects after a recent hammer blow.