Matt Phillips may miss entire Christmas period in latest West Brom blow as Carlos Corberan admits weeks out after Leicester
Matt Phillips may miss the “entirety” of the West Brom festive programme after Carlos Corberan admitted he looks set to be out for a few weeks, according to Birmingham Live.
Joseph Chapman writes for the outlet’s website on 3 December that after the Baggies wide man limped off with a hamstring problem in the last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Leicester City he might be unavailable for the whole of Christmas.
Phillips, 32, is the latest injury absentee for Corberan to overcome this season, with captain Jed Wallace an ongoing doubt with a repeat shoulder problem and both Martin Kelly and Daryl Dike out.
Kyle Bartley is predicted to return from a hamstring issue of his own for the trip to face Sunderland next week (9 December) but now Okay Yokuslu will be missing through suspension after a booking against the Foxes.
Constant
As fast as the West Brom boss gets a player back and able to contribute another one or two are ruled out as the Baggies are constantly forced into an uphill struggle this year.
Josh Maja scored his first goal for the club in what appeared to be enough for a point against the league-leaders, in his third appearance after 10 games out.
That is clearly a positive development in light of Dike’s rehab still keeping him out, but Wallace’s problem remains a major inconvenience.
If Phillips is also now out for the foreseeable future it only complicates matters further for Corberan, who had the Albion as high as third in the Championship after the midweek win at Cardiff (28 November).
Having been burned late by Harry Winks’ stoppage-time winner at The Hawthorns at the weekend the Spaniard would be all the more hopeful of getting back on track as soon as possible against Sunderland.
But that task has only been made harder by Phillips and Yokuslu being knocked out of contention, and after the Scotland international missed months last season it is clearly a concern that he’s set for another prolonged lay off.
In other West Brom news, an update on January recruitment has emerged after the club took out another loan.