Two West Brom players are “in contention to start” the Championship clash with high-flying Ipswich Town this weekend, according to an update from reliable journalist Lewis Cox.
West Brom injury news
The Baggies return to action after the international break with a huge game on Saturday evening, as Ipswich make the trip to the Hawthorns for an eye-catching meeting. Carlos Corberan’s side find themselves sitting in seventh place and just outside the playoff positions going into the game, and they will be tested up against one of the most impressive teams in the division, with Ipswich currently second on goal difference behind leaders Leicester City.
It hasn’t been plain sailing in the fitness department for West Brom of late, however, with Corberan having to make do without a number of key players. John Swift and Josh Maja are two individuals who have been unavailable – the latter has been absent for a number of months – while Jeremy Sarmiento is another who has been out injured.
With kickoff on Saturday now fast approaching, a key update has now emerged for the Baggies regarding the involvement of certain players in the weekend action.
West Brom’s double injury boost
Taking to X, reporter Cox claimed that both Swift and Maja could start for West Brom’ against Ipswich on Saturday, acting as a major boost for Corberan.
“John Swift and Josh Maja in contention to start, Carlos Corberan reveals. Certainly available to feature on Saturday. Diangana fine after DR Congo fear.”
This is great news for West Brom, who will need as many key players as possible available this weekend, in what is one of the biggest tests of their season to date. Ipswich may only have been promoted from League One last season, with few expecting them to be near the top of the table, but they continue to excel under Kieran McKenna, who previously managed Manchester United’s Under-18s and was an assistant at Old Trafford after that.
It remains to be seen if Corberan will put Swift and Maja straight back into the starting lineup, but it could be a surprise if that was the case, given their lack of football and the calibre of their opponents on Saturday.
The importance of Swift to this West Brom side cannot be downplayed, though, which could give the manager a reason to start him. The 28-year-old scored in both Baggies matches before his injury in October, against Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City.
West Brom’s top goalscorers this season | Total |
|---|---|
John Swift | 6 |
Brandon Thomas-Asante | 5 |
Matt Phillips | 3 |
Grady Diangana | 2 |
Jed Wallace | 2 |
Semi Ajayi | 2 |
Kyle Bartley | 2 |
Meanwhile, Maja is someone who is still waiting for his Hawthorns career to ignite, with the 24-year-old only managing five appearances for West Brom to date, seeing injuries stunting his progress. He is someone whose end product could end up being vital to his side’s promotion hopes as the season goes on, whether that be from the start or the substitutes’ bench. It will be fascinating to see how the Baggies fare against Ipswich, with a win suggesting that promotion to the Premier League could be very possible this season.
