Josh Maja to ‘reach another gear’ after West Brom developments
West Brom ace Josh Maja kicked the season off in electric fashion and could be set to get even better.
The 26-year-old has netted 12 goals so far this campaign, excelling under Carlos Corberan from the opening day onwards.
Unfortunately, the momentum he built has been stifled after the Nigeria international picked up an injury which ruled him out for over a month at The Hawthorns.
With that being said, the ex-Sunderland star has been backed to hit the ground running upon his return in B71.
Maja to hit new West Brom gear under Tony Mowbray
Since the striker suffered his injury, Tony Mowbray has come in as manager and has yet to have the forward available for selection.
It is unclear as to how quickly Maja will be able to return but it is safe to say that his new head coach will be hopeful that it will be soon in the Black Country.
If that is the case, Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has backed the former Sunderland striker to fight it out to become the Championship’s top scorer as he currently sits third in the rankings.
Speaking on the Essential EFL podcast (13 February), the former Leeds United midfielder believes Maja could shine under the guidance of Mowbray.
He said: “He’s getting more minutes on the pitch, that’s where his reward has come in.
“Josh Maja, I think, given the ability of the teammates around him to create hopefully will get a player who will be near the top of the scoring charts.
“A change in how they approach with Carlos [Coberan] and Mowbray wonderfully coming back, we might see another gear out of Josh Maja.”
West Brom will thrive with Maja back
It is frustrating to be without your best number nine for such a lengthy period, especially while Daryl Dike continues his recovery from injury.
The physicality and poacher nature of Maja proved to be a dangerous weapon in the hunt for a playoff spot throughout this campaign.
This also helped to get the best out of Tom Fellows who has already picked up 11 assists despite only making 27 starts so far this season.
With that being said, Mowbray will be keen to get the forward back and available to engage in competition with winter signing Adam Armstrong.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the pair can work together to get the best out of each other towards the end of the year as promotion becomes the main aim.
If Prutton’s prediction is to come true, Albion are going to have a strike force to be reckoned with at their disposal.