Okay Yokuslu sends message to West Brom star Daryl Dike after injury development at The Hawthorns
By Jonathan Burnett
West Brom midfielder Okay Yokuslu dedicated his side’s 2-0 win over Cardiff City on Tuesday to stricken forward Daryl Dike.
Since arriving at the Hawthorns in January 2022, Dike has been restricted to just 29 Championship appearances and only three more in the FA Cup, thanks to a combination of hamstring and Achilles injuries that have seen him miss the back end of all three seasons he’s played with West Brom.
Dike had only made his return to first-team action in January following a nine-month rehabilitation period for the Achilles injury suffered in April of last year. However, after just five appearances, a recurrence of the issue – but this time on the other ankle – was confirmed by the Albion, ruling the striker out for the rest of the campaign.
Yokuslu, posting on Instagram the morning after the win over Cardiff at The Hawthorns, highlighted Dike’s struggles, writing “that was for you brother” and tagging the USA international at the end of his message.
New Arrivals Will Help to Cushion Blow of Dike Absence
While Dike’s recently confirmed Achilles injury will keep him out of action beyond the end of the current season, the fact that the American forward only came back into the fold last month suggests West Brom will certainly be able to cope without him for the run-in.
The Baggies have no shortage of options in the final third, either, as was proven on Tuesday night against Cardiff, with goals from new arrivals Mikey Johnston and Andreas Weimann taking Albion beyond the 50-point mark this season.
Championship veteran Andi Weimann signed on loan from Bristol City midway through January and was joined by West Ham youngster Callum Marshall, also a striker, 11 days later. Ireland winger Johnston arrived on deadline day, showing that Carlos Corberan has more than enough attacking firepower to compensate for the untimely absence of Dike.
All three new faces are only on loan deals until the end of the season, but with Brandon Thomas-Asante already having nine goals to his name this season and Josh Maja also in the striking ranks, even a fully-fit Dike would have had a task on his hands to established a regular spot in Corberan’s first-choice XI.
Another lengthy spell on the sidelines awaits for Dike, and as West Brom bolster reinforcements to create a squad ready for a tilt at promotion, their big-money MLS signing looks likely to fall further and further down the pecking order.
In other West Brom news, footage has emerged as a journalist shares what the Baggies fans did to Dike in the Cardiff clash post his injury.
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