Carlos Coberan confirms new injury blow to Reyes Cleary, potential January move now off
Reyes Cleary is the latest West Brom player to suffer a further “devastating” injury set back which is set to prevent a possible January loan move, according to Express & Star.
The paper reported via their website on 15 December that the 19-year-old was potentially in line for a move after his previous injury against Stourbridge in April, which knocked him out until well into the current season, had prevented a summer departure, but it again will be impossible.
Manager Carlos Corberan confirmed the young forward has suffered another hamstring issue, albeit to the other leg this time, after appearing in an under-21s cup game vs Darlaston Town and won’t be back in contention until the spring, calling it “difficult to accept”.
Corberan said of the teenager: “In the last time he played with the under-21s he suffered again with a hamstring injury, an injury that is going to move him around four months out, he has suffered again the injury after 20 minutes playing in the under-21 cup game.
“It’s always a difficult moment for every young player, it’s difficult to accept and now it is starting the process again in recovery, something tough but again something as a player he needs to face.”
The Spaniard had previously indicated another attempted loan would be on the cards, saying on 20 October when Cleary returned previously [via Birmingham Live]: “In my mind, he needed the loan to be ready for the first-team. We see a lot of potential in him, but we are seeing the need for a loan.
“Unfortunately, our idea didn’t work because in the last games he suffered an important injury that has made him be four or five months off the pitch.”
Incredible
Just like his senior teammates Matt Phillips and Josh Maja it is yet another long-term lay-off for the youngster soon after coming back from one.
If there was any hope of the young forward stepping into the gaps left by the pair who have been knocked out for close to five months each, with surgery set to extend their absences, that is off the table, as is the loan experience Corberan clearly feels he needs.
It is difficult to determine if it is just incredibly bad luck at West Brom that is contributing not only to the frequency of the injuries within the Albion squad but the seriousness of them repeatedly for some players.
But while it is difficult enough for the manager to plan for first-team options if no sooner are they back in the equation for a run of games they are then ruled out of action for the foreseeable future, but it is even harder for the likes of Cleary who are looking to make a breakthrough and can’t prove they are ready.
He is essentially going to have lost a year of development through hamstring problems, which is hard for any young player, but for one who has already made six first-team appearances and was on the bench for the win at Coventry on 30 October it has prevented him from being in the equation to step up when those ahead of him are unavailable.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies are set for a “race against time” to avoid the squad being picked apart in the January window.