Carlos Corberan shares Pipa injury update in early West Brom team news v Leeds
West Brom boss Carlos Corberan has slammed the Middlesbrough players for their role in full-back Pipa’s injury as he missed the victory over Norwich City.
The Spaniard joined the Baggies on loan from Ludogorets Razgrad during the summer transfer window but has only made one start since, appearing as a late substitute in seven others.
The 25-year-old replaced Darnwell Furlong against the Boro with 10 minutes to play but was unable to do what Corberan was asking of him after a foul soon after entering the field of play, triggering the West Brom manager.
“When I put Pipa in for the last 10 or 15 minutes, the first tackle they put in injured him,” he said to Express & Star on Thursday (28 December).
“I asked him to do things and he was saying it was impossible for him to move. It really injured him and that’s why he wasn’t with the team here (against Norwich).
“Today he still has pain, so now we need to see how he reacts to the pain because it’s not something that is a muscle injury. The kick was too aggressive and he cannot move his back.”
Frustrations growing
This kind of situation is not unusual. At 1-0 down, Corberan has been playing Pipa much higher up the pitch and will have wanted him to have some kind of impact in the final moments of the match.
The defender, by nature, grabbed his first assist for the club in a 2-1 loss to Sunderland as he crossed the ball in for Brandon Thomas-Asante to nod home. He clearly has something to offer going forward, which may be why Michael Carrick’s men were eager to put an early challenge in on the player.
However, it has had long-lasting effects with Pipa now sidelined with an injury that cannot be worked on the same as a muscle injury. Understandably, Corberan is frustrated with the situation and the Middlesbrough players, with the manager unable to choose him against Norwich or possibly Leeds United in their next fixture.
Despite this, it could be much worse news as Pipa is not one of the first names on Corberan’s teamsheet. With Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend showing no signs of letting up, it may be a while until the Spaniard is called upon to make his second start of the season.
But any injury still adds to the frustration in an already difficult season as the Baggies continue to target promotion to the Premier League.
In other West Brom news, a journalist has shared a “mental hurdle” the Albion players are struggling to overcome.