West Brom: Darnell Furlong should be rested against Rotherham United
West Brom boss Carlos Corberan should consider giving Darnell Furlong a rest against Rotherham United on Wednesday 10 April.
The right-back has been Corberan’s most trusted player this term, racking up 3,578 minutes across all competitions – a total only goalkeeper Alex Palmer can better, with 3,690.
Furlong has featured in all 41 of the Baggies’ Championship games so far, starting 39 of them, but did not produce his best display in the 2-2 draw at Stoke City last time out.
Rotherham clash the perfect opportunity for West Brom to rest Darnell Furlong
There could hardly be a better opportunity to rest players than last-placed Rotherham’s visit to the Hawthorns.
The Millers’ relegation has already been confirmed with five games remaining following their 1-0 defeat against Plymouth Argyle – even the gap between themselves and second-bottom Birmingham City is yawning, with Rotherham 19 points behind the 23rd-placed Blues on just 23 points from 41 games.
A measly four wins have been achieved in 2023/24, the last of which came on Boxing Day against Middlesbrough.
Furlong, meanwhile, exhibited signs of fatigue in his sub-par showing as the Baggies were held by Stoke on 6 April.
The 28-year-old full-back was uncharacteristically uninvolved, taking just 41 touches – the fewest of any outfield player to play 90 minutes [FotMob] – and attempting just 24 passes, completing 17 of those.
Corberan may be reluctant to leave Furlong out entirely, however, given the clear lack of faith in the squad’s other natural right-back, Pipa.
The Spaniard has played just 238 Championship minutes, starting just once in the competition, and has been left out of the squad entirely since the 4-1 victory over Huddersfield on 10 March.
One way or another, Furlong must be afforded the opportunity to recover to avoid burnout before the playoffs. If Corberan cannot countenance not starting him, then perhaps an early substitution at half-time or in the second half would prove a compromise if West Brom can build a comfortable lead over Rotherham by then.
Should the Baggies fail to be in a commanding position by that stage of the contest, then it is likely they will need Furlong to help ensure all three points are earned.
In other West Brom news, an injury update has been issues as a sidelined star steps up his rehab.
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