West Brom recently saw Matt Phillips ruled out for four months with a muscle injury, and now the Baggies have another star facing a lengthy spell out.
West Brom returned to winning ways at Rotherham United last night.
The Baggies won 2-0 after suffering back-to-back defeats in the Championship, against Leicester City and Sunderland respectively.
The defeat at Sunderland last weekend was one of controversy with several decisions seemingly going against West Brom.
And one key decision involved Dan Ballard and Josh Maja; the former went into the latter, forcing Maja off injured in the first half, but escaping with just a yellow card.
The tackle was branded a poor one after the game and Carlos Corberan was visibly frustrated in his post-match comments.
And since, the Baggies boss has revealed that Maja faces four months out with ankle ligament damage.
Josh Maja facing four months out with ankle injury
Maja had only just returned from an ankle injury.
He was on the scoresheet vs Leicester and made his first start at former club Sunderland.
And it’s the same ankle that he injured earlier in the season, with the 24-year-old potentially requiring surgery to fix this new injury issue.
Speaking to the club, Corberan revealed:
“In the tackle against Sunderland they injured all the ligaments in his ankle, it depends and the doctors still need to ask for a second opinion to see if there is any ligament to fix without surgery.” Corberán said.
“Normally he will need surgery and be out of the team for the next four months. It’s the worst news we can give.”
Daryl Dike’s return takes on more importance for West Brom
With Maja back on the sidelines, Brandon Thomas-Asante is once again Corberan’s only fit no.9.
That is until Daryl Dike returns in the New Year.
The USMNT striker is nearing a return to action after suffering an Achilles injury in the New Year, and his eventual return to the side will help to ease the blow of Maja’s latest setback.
This current injury is Dike’s second long-term injury since joining the Baggies at the start of last year; since, Dike has made just 25 Championship appearances, scoring seven goals.
Dike could yet be the difference between West Brom earning promotion this season and not.
But Corberan will know that his side need to have some kind of showing in next month’s transfer window and that could ride on the club’s potential takeover going through; the latest is that owner Guochuan Lai looks set to name a preferred bidder very soon.
West Brom return to action vs Stoke City this weekend.