Carlos Corberan provides Matt Phillips injury update after West Brom defeat to Leicester City
Carlos Corberan has provided an update on Matt Phillips’ injury after the West Brom winger was substituted in the first half of the Baggies’ defeat to Leicester City.
Albion looked as though they had salvaged a point against the Championship leaders when Josh Maja scored in the 89th minute, only for Harry Winks to find the net late in stoppage time to claim all three points for the visitors.
While the result would have been heartbreaking enough for the supporters inside The Hawthorns, the bad news has been compounded as Corberan confirmed Phillips will be sidelined for weeks while providing an update on Kyle Bartley and Jed Wallace.
As quoted by the Express & Star (2 December) he said: “I think it’s a hamstring injury and when there is a hamstring injury it’s never a short injury. Yeah, yeah (at least a few weeks), one hundred per cent.”
“After the previous game, Bartley was feeling fatigue in the hamstring, there was no specific injury but there was something with the hamstring, but even if the muscle is not broken you need to calm and recover and rest.
“We need to see how he progresses but it’s different at the moment to the situation with Wallace of Phillips. With Wallace, he has the problem in the shoulder, I think he will be out of the team two or three weeks depending how he progresses.”
Worrying news
West Brom don’t seem to be able to catch a break in terms of injuries this season, with a new player seemingly being pushed into the treatment room whenever somebody else returns to full fitness to ensure Corberan never has a full squad to work with.
Phillips has been integral to the Baggies’ recent form and has started 18 of the 19 Championship matches this season in a variety of positions. The Baggies are always a better side with Phillips in it but will have to work without him for the next few weeks.
Hopefully, if Bartley’s issue is a case of fatigue rather than a genuine injury, it won’t be too long until Albion supporters see the defender lining up in the backline again as they tend to be much better defensively when the 32-year-old starts.
Wallace will be sidelined for a few more weeks but with the fixtures coming thick and fast Corberan is going to have to find a solution with the players left at his disposal. The next month or so could be season-defining so the Baggies need to get it right.
In other West Brom news, according to reports an “outright favourite” emerged in the race to takeover the Baggies