Ollie Bostock to miss West Brom chance after new Wales announcement - verdict

Ollie Bostock would have been hoping to impress West Brom manager James Morrison in pre-season, but he could miss out on the chance to do so.

Bostock has gone from strength to strength this season and has even earned a call-up for the Wales senior football team.

However, on that occasion, he was not handed the chance to represent the Dragons.

West Brom are set to return to pre-season training on 25 June, but Bostock will now not be involved.

The Baggies youth prospect has received a call-up for Wales Under-19s, with the fixtures clashing with West Brom's return to training.

And while he will be proud to show up for his nation, it could harm his chances for the B71 side.

Why Ollie Bostock could miss West Brom chance

Morrison issued a challenge for Bostock to work hard during the off-season and come back prepared to fight for his place.

However, the winger will now miss the beginning of pre-season, a crucial period for Morrison to see his progress.

This is because Bostock has been named in a 20-man squad for the upcoming Under-19s Euros competition, as confirmed by Wales on Tuesday.

The first game of the tournament is taking place on 28 June. That means the 19-year-old will not report for his club duties as initially planned.

Wales' final game of the group stage arrives on 4 July, when they face Denmark.

So, at minimum, Bostock will miss the first nine days of pre-season. Not an ideal situation for a young player looking to make his breakthrough.

Additionally, if Wales do well and qualify for the knockouts, that would further extend his period away, with the semi-final of the competition on 8 July and the final on 12 July.

Overall, he could miss a maximum of 17 days of pre-season.

Could Bostock miss any pre-season games for West Brom?

Bostock could very well miss the first pre-season game for West Brom, with their friendly clash against Sheffield Wednesday being played on 11 July.

So, if Wales do get to the semi-finals, you would expect Bostock to get at least some sort of break after the tournament ruling him out of the action.

If they got to the final, it would completely rule him out.

West Brom's next announced friendly is against Peterborough on 1 August, but there will likely be some other fixtures sprinkled in before then, too.

Bostock could then be in line to feature before the season starts, but others could impress Morrison before he has the chance to stake his own claim.