Mason Holgate must step up for West Brom after Carlos Corberan delivers Kyle Bartley update
Carlos Corberan looks set to lean heavily on Mason Holgate at West Brom after giving an update on his injured defenders.
Speaking after the Baggies’ draw with Cardiff (26 October), Corberan addressed the injuries suffered by Paddy McNair and Semi Ajayi in each half of their 0-0 stalemate at The Hawthorns.
McNair pulled up with hamstring trouble inside the opening minute and Ajayi hobbled off late on, with Holgate entering the fray for his second Albion debut as Bartley remains out with a knee issue.
Speaking to Express and Star (26 October), Corberan said: “It looks like a hamstring injury on Paddy and looks like a knee problem on Semi.
“When you add to the Bartley knee injury it is a more challenging moment for the defensive line – the only one I can offer is that Bartley will be four to six weeks out of the team, that is all I can confirm so far.”
On Holgate, he added: “That is what happens in football – sometimes you are in and then comes the opportunity to play and you have to compete.”
Mason Holgate to be thrown in at the deep end for West Brom
Given he re-signed for the club on loan from Everton back on 30 August, it is somewhat surprising that the Jamaican international has taken so long to finally get on the pitch for Corberan’s side.
That delay was thanks to the consistency Albion had at centre-back, but that strength-in-depth has been obliterated over the last couple of weeks with Bartley, McNair and Ajayi all struck down.
Bartley still being weeks away from making a return, adding to fears that McNair may never feature for the club again, leaves a dearth of options for Corberan as he looks to address his side’s stuttering form.
Tobjorn Heggem’s form as a makeshift left-back has been enough to earn the Norwegian an international call-up, but it’s likely that he and Holgate will now slot into central defence for the time being.
Ajayi hardly covered himself in glory during Albion’s draw with Cardiff, nor did Holgate once coming on, but he and Heggem will need to gel if Albion are to keep pace in the Championship promotion race.
In other West Brom news, a Premier League club are keeping tabs on the progress of one of Carlos Corberan’s star players.
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