West Brom ‘serious witchcraft in play’ after another Matt Phillips, Josh Maja injury blow – Chris Lepkowski
The cursed nature of West Brom when it comes to injuries currently suggests there is “some serious witchcraft in play” this season, according to Chris Lepkowski.
The journalist reacted to the latest fitness blow on 15 December as Carlos Corberan revealed, ahead of the Stoke City clash at the weekend, that both Matt Phillips and Josh Maja are set to be out for five months each.
Baggies boss Corberan confirmed that the Scotland winger has already undergone surgery that will prolong his absence for a further three weeks and the Nigeria striker will need to follow suit to extend his lay-off.
Lepkowski reacted with: “Some serious witchcraft in play at WBA this season. It’s like somebody has released a clowder of black cats into the building.”
Never rains but pours
It may just be a product of a squad that was necessarily thinned out last summer being asked to mount a promotion charge against the odds is catching up with players.
But it feels like the West Brom luck when it comes to long-term absences is particularly bad, especially with Daryl Dike’s nightmare still ongoing.
The American won’t be back until the New Year after rupturing his achilles last season in what was his third serious injury in under two years with the club.
Unfortunately it looks like Maja’s move to The Hawthorns is heading the same way after he briefly returned from one lengthy lay-off only to be wiped out by Dan Ballard against Sunderland to potentially end his season.
Phillips on the other hand is only two appearances short of 250 in a West Brom shirt but was himself out for the entire second half of last season before his latest major problem.
Corberan has had to operate with a high volume of shorter absences within his squad throughout his time at the club, but the recurring serious issues to the same players has robbed him of a substantial element of his squad for most of his tenure in a way that most managers don’t have to deal with to this extent.
In other West Brom news, Corberan has revealed the “Premier League level” changes he has insisted on behind the scenes amid the promotion push.