West Brom must ease burden on Brandon Thomas-Asante after Daryl Dike ‘nightmare’ injury – Andy Johnson
West Brom must ease the burden on Brandon Thomas-Asante’s shoulders after the “nightmare” injury to strike partner Daryl Dike, according to former Baggies midfielder Andy Johnson.
Dike, 23, has been plagued with injuries since arriving at The Hawthorns in January 2022, and recently picked up an Achilles injury which the club confirmed would need surgery and likely to keep him out for six to nine months.
Speaking to Express and Star, pundit Johnson waxed lyrical about the “fantastic” impact of Thomas-Asante since signing from Salford City last summer but urged the Baggies to ease his workload next season.
“You’ve got Dike, bless him, I can’t even begin to think how he feels,” he said.
“It’s been a nightmare for the lad, it really has, I hope he’s keeping his spirits up. It must be very difficult.
“Especially with the sort of injuries he’s had, he’s not twisted his ankle, he’s ripped muscles, his Achilles, horrendous long-term injuries, that’s difficult being in the gym on your own when all the lads are outside. He won’t have much of a summer, he’ll be in rehab, trying to get fit.
“Which leaves Thomas-Asante, don’t get me wrong I love the kid and think he’s a fantastic breath of fresh air, talk about giving everything and wearing your heart on your sleeve. Some of the goals have been incredible.
“But at the same time, when you play with one up front, you can’t ask him to do it week in week out for 90 minutes, it’s physically impossible in the Championship.”
Major problem
The issues in attack are yet another problem for Carlos Corberan to juggle over the coming months, with the club desperately short on centre-forward options away from Thomas-Asante.
Karlan Grant has recently been tipped for a move away from The Hawthorns, while the Spanish manager is set to be forced into a fire sale of numerous first-team players now that the Premier League parachute payments will stop for the upcoming season.
With few options within the club and Corberan unlikely to enter the summer transfer market with any kind of war chest, he must find alternative ways of alleviating the pressure off Thomas-Asante.
Dipping into the loan market, as they did in January through the acquisition of attacker Marc Albrighton could be a smart move, while Blackpool striker Jerry Yates has been of interest for a £4million fee.
Either way, the injury to Dike couldn’t have come at a worse time for West Brom.
In other West Brom news, contact may have already been made over a managerial move from the man running the show at Elland Road.