Reyes Cleary spotted back in West Brom first-team training after long injury lay-off
West Brom striker Reyes Cleary has been spotted back in training with Carlos Corberan’s first-team squad after facing months out with a serious hamstring injury.
The 19-year-old forward enjoyed a sensational 2022/23 campaign, scoring 19 goals for Richard Beale’s PL2 side as well as making five appearances across three different competitions for the senior team.
However, the Baggies sensation suffered a serious hamstring injury towards the back end of last season after scoring a hattrick against Derby in a 5-1 PL2 win in April – his last appearance in a West Brom shirt [Transfermarkt].
And as the Baggies geared up for their next Championship fixture against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday (21 October), the young striker was spotted training alongside defender Cédric Kipré.
Superb boost
It’s no secret the Baggies are suffering from a depleted attacking weaponry right now, given the injuries to John Swift, Jeremy Sarmiento, Josh Maja and Daryl Dike which has somewhat hampered their early promotion push.
Corberan has desperately needed some good news before they face off against Plymouth and Cleary’s return to training is certainly excellent news for all parties.
While the youngster may not feature on Saturday, his return is still incredibly timely with Brandon Thomas-Asante Corberan’s only specialist striker right now.
Cleary may still be some weeks away from action and may be required to step up his fitness back in the reserve team but these latest images already show what Corberan thinks of his future and potential at the club.
The Championship remains the ideal platform across Europe for burgeoning young talents to hone their craft, and players who have taken a similar path to Cleary have gone on to become World beaters at Premier League level.
Promoting from within the academy is something the Spaniard should be undergoing anyway, to ensure a sustainable and healthy future at The Hawthorns.
Cleary has already proven himself at reserve level scoring a whopping 52 goals in 61 appearances, and that should surely hand him regular first team opportunities once he’s back in full fettle.
In other West Brom news, a football expert has been left stunned after behind-the-scenes news has emerged at Hawthorns over the past few months.