West Brom boss Carlos Corberan defended as journalist reacts to ‘serious’ Matt Phillips news
Journalist Joe Chapman says there is nothing West Brom boss Carlos Corberan could have done to have prevented Matt Phillips from suffering a “serious injury”.
Corberan confirmed at his weekly press conference on Wednesday (6 December), as quoted by Albion’s official website, that Phillips is facing four months on the sidelines.
Phillips has a history of injury setbacks, most recently last season when missing the entire second half of the campaign.
The 32-year-old has played in all 19 of West Brom’s Championship games this season, starting all but one of those, but Birmingham Live reporter Chapman does not believe Corberan is to blame for this latest lay-off.
“Not much to be done, just bad luck,” he posted on his personal Twitter account [6 December].
“Corberan decided to drop Phillips to the bench in the week against Cardiff and he’s still ended up picking up a serious injury. A punch in the turf from Phillips and a punch in the midriff of Albion’s season.”
Great shame
There is a question to be asked as to whether Phillips has started too many matches, given he went close to eight months without kicking a ball in a competitive game prior to the opening match of this season.
The versatile wide player injured his quad in January and did not play again until August, which is a very long time to go between competitive run-outs, especially when the wrong side of 30.
At the same time, Phillips’ injury came in the first game after he was named on the substitutes’ bench for the first time this season.
It is more likely that this is just one of those things, with Phillips unfortunately a player more vulnerable to injuries than others – especially in the winter period, it seems.
Given he will be 33 by the time he returns, it is a big call on West Brom’s behalf as to whether they should offer him a new deal when his current one expires at the end of the campaign.
Phillips has been superb for Albion this season, so it would be a great shame if he has already kicked a ball for the club for the last time.
In other West Brom news, a journalist has named one player Albion may consider selling in the January transfer window.