West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow after learning that one of their first-team stars is facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
West Brom injury news
The Baggies currently have Daryl Dike, Martin Kelly and Matt Phillips all out of action with their own respective problems as it stands, and they have recently been joined in the treatment room by another squad member having suffered a fresh setback.
In the Championship, Carlos Corberan’s side were on the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last weekend, and unfortunately for the manager, the result wasn’t the only negative to occur from that day on the club’s trip to the northeast.
On 36 minutes, Josh Maja was the subject of a heavy challenge from Dan Ballard and the intense pain that the striker felt forced him off the pitch prematurely, which will have caused concern among supporters because they know that their summer signing hasn’t had the best of luck since he put pen to paper.
The Nigerian has only been able to make one start in the second tier since the start of the season having only recently returned from an ankle injury (WhoScored – Maja statistics), and the 24-year-old is now set to spend another period of time away from the grass.
Maja ruled out for four months
Speaking to West Brom’s official website, Corberan confirmed that Maja is facing four months out because he may require surgery to rectify his problem in order for it to heal as quickly as possible, describing it as the “worst news”.
“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. Normally he will need surgery and be out of the team for the next four months. It’s the worst news we can give.“
Corberan dealt huge blow over Maja
According to Josh Bunting, Maja was an “interesting” addition over the summer, because while he isn’t the best at linking up the play, as per the journalist, he is a fantastic finisher, with his prolific form being something that he has shown right since the very start of his career.
The Lewisham-born talent has clocked up 79 involvements, 61 goals and 18 assists, in 213 appearances following his arrival on the professional scene, and it’s not just his ability to find the back of the net that the boss will have to cope without once again (Transfermarkt – Maja statistics).
Sponsored by Nike, the striker is a versatile operator having previously been deployed in four different positions over the grass, including three roles across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder, though this is another attribute that the coach won’t have at his disposal for the foreseeable future.
Therefore, Maja not being able to return until April at the earliest will come as a setback to Corberan, and it may mean that the club are forced to enter the market to find a replacement for their injured star during the upcoming transfer window in January.
