Ryan Mason has already found his favourite West Brom players as pre-season minutes revealed
Ryan Mason has had four pre-season fixtures to assess his West Brom squad ahead of the new campaign.
The English head coach is preparing for his maiden season with the Baggies, having come in from Tottenham earlier in the summer.
This has already seen the 34-year-old take charge of many friendlies to get a feel of his side ahead of opening day at The Hawthorns.
With that being said, it appears that Mason has already begun favouring certain players, something which may be echoed into the upcoming Championship campaign.
Mason already has West Brom favourites
The purpose of pre-season games are to look at a wide range of players and see who can make a difference once competitive action begins.
That has certainly been the case in certain areas for Albion, with the striker position being rotated throughout the four pre-season matches.
The likes of Aune Heggebo, Josh Maja and Devante Cole have all been given minutes ahead of a new year in the second tier.
With that being said, other names have been given more of a regular opportunity on the pitch to prove themselves to Mason.
As per West Brom Statto on X (6 August), the new boss has handed Darnell Furlong the most pre-season minutes with 331 in B71.
The right-back has been followed closely by fellow defender Torbjorn Heggem with 326, while Alex Mowatt has clocked up 317 himself.
By comparison, Maja and Jed Wallace have clocked up just 14 and 15 minutes respectively, both playing more than Harry Whitwell, who has been afforded just eight minutes of action.
Maja minutes must conern Mason
Considering how electric the Nigeria international was to begin last campaign, his lack of gametime must represent a worry for the Baggies.
That isn’t to say that the likes of Heggebo won’t be able to step up, but it is a lot of pressure to pile on a new signing in a new league.
There will also be a concern over the reliability of Daryl Dike, who has been consistently injured throughout his three-year spell at The Hawthorns.
| Stat | Daryl Dike |
| Appearances | 43 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 2 |
As a result, getting Maja back to full fitness will likely be of paramount importance to Mason despite having his favourites in other areas of the pitch.
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