Mikey Johnston pre-season injury update drops at West Brom after lay-off

Mikey Johnston appears to be ready for his West Brom return.

The Republic of Ireland international has been an asset for the Baggies ever since signing on loan from Celtic.

Excitement was palpable when he made that temporary stint permanent and he backed that up.

Last season he was a creative force in B71, putting up nine assists in the Championship.

That was until his campaign was destroyed by a fracture to his ankle against Oxford United in February.

Johnston has been missing ever since, but it finally appears that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Mikey Johnston set for West Brom comeback

There has been plenty of noise surrounding the winger and his potential return from injury.

It feels crazy to think that Johnston was linked to Flamengo last year, as covered by West Brom News, before a deal fell through.

Now, he has faced five months on the treatment table and is only now ready to feature again.

The Baggies are preparing for a double header of friendlies on Saturday with 3,000 away fans expected for the trip to Shrewsbury Town.

They may be disappointed to learn that Johnston won't be featuring against the Salop, but has been included in the squad to face Notts County behind closed doors.

He will join a largely youth focused squad alongside senior heads like Matt Ingram, Krystian Bielik and Jayson Molumby.

Fans will certainly be interested to see how Johnston performs, but there is a question surrounding one of his teammates.

What is happening with Tammer Bany?

Johnston has been ruled out for several months and finally looks set to make his return.

That will only raise further questions surrounding Tammer Bany as he is no where to be seen in either squads for Saturday's outings.

He made just four appearances last campaign and is now missing important chances to show his worth in pre-season.

The 22-year-old suffered a torn thigh in December and was ruled out for months, but hasn't shown anything even since his return.

With Bany now missing from pre-season with little explanation, alarm bells will once again be ringing at The Hawthorns.