Carlos Corberan makes new ‘massive’ admission after West Brom duo’s injury return
Carlos Corberan has admitted that the return of Josh Maja and John Swift from injury could make a “massive difference” to West Brom over the remainder of the season.
The Baggies returned to action following the international break with an impressive 2-0 win over Ipswich Town at The Hawthorns on Saturday (25 November), thanks to goals from Darnell Furlong and Grady Diangana either side of halftime.
While the result propelled Albion back into the play-off places, perhaps the biggest boost was the return of both Swift and Maja as both returned from injury as second-half substitutes and Corberan believes both players help make the Baggies stronger.
As quoted by the Express & Star (27 November) he said: “A massive difference. For me, if we have everyone ready and available we are strongest. When you lose players, you reduce the options to compete better, because if you have one group of good players – and they are ready to compete – it’s only something positive you have.
“I think they feel strong when they see players performing well and when they see everyone ready to help the team, this is a very positive feeling that we need to keep.
“Keep managing the minutes, managing well the training, because when we have everyone available and ready to help the team is when we are strongest.”
Avoid further injury
Between now and the New Year the Championship enters its most chaotic period, with games every three days as West Brom play eight times between now and the end of the festive period. This run of games can often be an indicator of how the season will pan out.
Nothing is decided in England’s second tier by Christmas, but a number of good results, similar to the Baggies’ win over Ipswich Town, could well help them really establish themselves as genuine contenders for promotion to the Premier League.
To give themselves the best chance of returning to the top flight, Albion need their best players to be available consistently, so to have Swift and Maja fit and ready from the first match of this block of fixtures can only be a massive boost for West Brom.
Maja was one of Corberan’s only permanent additions this summer as he looked to add some goals to his side, while Swift has been one of the Championship’s best players when fit this season. If they can play regularly over the next month, it could be season-defining for West Brom.
In other West Brom news, Alex Palmer has admitted that the upcoming run of fixtures at The Hawthorns will be “tough”