West Brom boss Mason reveals huge fitness boost ahead of Blackburn match
West Brom take on Blackburn Rovers in their opening Championship fixture this coming Saturday.
New manager Ryan Mason has made three signings this summer, and will be expected to challenge for promotion this season.
Mason has had all summer to ready his team for the Championship season, and he has handed a huge fitness boost ahead of the Blackburn game.
Mason shares injury update ahead of Blackburn match
Josh Maja was the league’s second-highest goalscorer in January when he suffered a nasty ankle injury.
The injury required surgery, and the Nigerian striker missed the rest of the season.
He was still unavailable for West Brom’s opening pre-season friendlies, although Mason had provided positive updates about his recovery.
It had been forecast that Maya would feature in West Brom’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano last Saturday, but a setback left unable to take part.
The news had worried Baggies fans, many of whom assumed that Maya would be unavailable for the start of the upcoming season.
However, Mason has now suggested that Maja should be fit enough to take part.
In quotes shared by The Express and Star (4 August) about Maja’s absence, Mason said: “He’s got to a good place, and he just felt a little something, so hopefully it’s nothing serious, and he should be OK for the start of the season.”
Maja and Fellows will play key roles in West Brom’s promotion hunt
There were rumours that Josh Maja could be sold to help fund other transfers this summer.
Tom Fellows had also been linked with a transfer, with Everton supposedly interested in buying him.
As things stand, both players look set to remain at The Hawthorns, and they’ll each have a huge role to play if West Brom are to challenge for promotion this season.
Maja looked unstoppable on many occasions throughout the first half of last season, and Mason will hope he can recapture that form after a long spell on the sidelines.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 26 | 2075 | 12 | 2 |
It looks inevitable that Fellows will play in the Premier League one day, so West Brom can only hope he stays long enough to lead his hometown team into the promised land.
With Maja available from day one, the Baggies’ chances of reaching that goal have improved.
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