West Brom concern as Carlos Corberan offers Matt Phillips update ahead of Preston clash
Carlos Corberan has a few injury concerns heading into the clash between West Brom and Preston North End.
The Baggies are set for a tense afternoon at The Hawthorns when they host Preston on Saturday (4 May).
Corberan’s side need a positive result to ensure they secure a Championship play-off position.
They could still finish sixth with a defeat, but that would rely on Hull City failing to win at Plymouth Argyle, which is a factor Corberan is unlikely to want to rely on.
After three straight defeats, the Baggies will need some inspiration from somewhere against Preston, but that might not come so easily after an injury update was provided on Thursday (via Birmingham Live, 2 May).
The last thing Corberan would have wanted this week was disruptions in training, but it appears as if that is exactly what the West Brom boss has had, with neither Brandon Thomas-Asante nor Matt Phillips able to train normally.
On Phillips, Corberan said, “Phillips is another player that we have been managing this season. Let’s see how he arrives on Friday, in the conditions or not. The other players have been training normally.”
Matt Phillips could miss out for West Brom against Preston North End at The Hawthorns
Phillips has struggled with injuries this season, missing almost four months of action between the beginning of December and the end of March.
Before this, he had been featuring regularly for Corberan, scoring three goals and providing three assists in the first 19 Championship matches of the season, with the 31-year-old starting 18 of those games.
But since his return, he has been limited to substitute appearances.
In West Brom’s most recent victory, a 2-0 win over Rotherham at The Hawthorns (10 April), Phillips came off the bench and completed 100 per cent of his passes, with one of those key (Sofascore).
In the 2-1 defeat against Leicester City (20 April), he also provided an impact as a second-half substitute, completing 86 per cent of his passes, with two of those key, and completing 100 per cent of his crosses.
He did struggle in his first start back from injury last time out.
During the 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, Phillips was only able to complete 68 per cent of his passes, while he failed to provide an accurate cross into the box from four attempts.
In addition, he failed with his one dribble attempt, won just one of his four ground duels and gave possession away 15 times before he was taken off in the 55th minute.
While it wasn’t his finest hour, Phillips has still showcased in recent weeks that he can make an impact, even if it is off the bench, and Corberan will hope that the wide forward can play some part on Saturday.
In other West Brom news, David Prutton has issued a scoreline prediction ahead of Saturday.
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