Carlos Corberan shares his latest update on Martin Kelly’s injury at West Brom
Martin Kelly is set to step up his recovery from the long-term knee injury he has suffered, as Carlos Corberan revealed the West Brom defender will begin work with a technical coach.
The boss was keen to ease any expectations around a potential return in the near future and was quick to play down the extent of his recovery, saying the club are still supporting him in his long road to recovery.
Corberan also hinted that a decision will be made on the defender’s future at the club, with a possible loan on the cards if he is not ready to get match action for the Baggies upon his return to fitness.
The West Brom manager spoke to the Express and Star on 29 September, revealing: “Sometimes a player needs minutes to recover his level, especially at his age. Unfortunately, in his first game for Wigan, he was injured.
“Friday, for example, is the first day he is going to work with one of our technical members of staff, so we are helping him in the process of recovery.
“After that, he’ll be one player more. Knowing he is going to be eight months without playing football, it makes it more difficult for him to be ready to play.
“We need to analyse when the right moment is and to see what is the best decision for him to be loaned, or to be kept. That’s something that I cannot tell you because it’s September. If you ask me now if he is ready, then I’ll tell you he is not.
“If you ask me if he’s completed any training with the group, then no – he has not yet. Friday [29 September] is the first day he’s going to do a technical drill with one of the coaches.”
Patience will be required
As the boss said, the recovery will still take some time before he is able to return to training, and it will be even longer before he reaches the level he was playing at prior to the serious injury he suffered during a loan spell at Wigan.
That loan was supposed to allow Kelly to play regular first-team football, something he was not going to get at The Hawthorns as he made just seven senior appearances for the team before being allowed to move on loan and play more games.
This could suggest that, when he does make his long-awaited return from the treatment table, he may well be sent back on loan. Playing time is a key part of keeping fit, particularly as a 33-year-old, and if that cannot be promised at West Brom, it could be found elsewhere.
A loan move would also leave the door open to a possible Hawthorns return, once he has regained his fitness, match sharpness, and confidence in playing at a high level.
In other West Brom news, a Sky Sports pundit has made his prediction ahead of the weekend’s fixture.