West Bromwich Albion have endured a fairly miserable campaign in the Championship this season in terms of their results and performances at times.
With 45 games played, the Baggies have won just 17, drawn 13 and lost 15, highlighting just how up-and-down they’ve been throughout the season.
Despite securing a 1-0 win over Reading last time out, the Midlands club didn’t come away from Saturday’s game completely unscathed.
What’s the news?
After playing throughout the first 45 minutes, Baggies full-back Conor Townsend was replaced by Zac Ashworth at half-time due to a suspected injury.
Speaking after the match to Birmingham Mail, West Brom manager Steve Bruce had this to say regarding Townsend’s injury: “He twisted his ankle just before half-time and he will have scans and we’ll see how he is.”
It is just the latest injury blow in a regrettable campaign at The Hawthorns which has also seen the likes of Dara O’Shea and Daryl Dike fall victim to long-term absences.
Has Conor Townsend been WBA’s most consistent player this season?
Taking into account how Townsend has started all 43 league games in which he has appeared in this season, it’s clear that he is an important figure for the team, and his absence will be a big blow for them.
Throughout the campaign, the 29-year-old has shown his versatility by playing in three different positions on the pitch when required, delivering two assists while doing so.
To further highlight how vital he is for the Baggies, no other West Brom player can match the number of crosses (181) or tackles (50) that Townsend has to his name.
Worrying for Bruce
Not only has Townsend played more minutes in the league this season than any of his team-mates, his overall performances have also shown what a solid player he is.
As per WhoScored, the defender has earned himself an overall season rating of 6.84/10, making him the fourth-highest rated West Brom player to have started more than 30 league games.
Even though the end of the season is almost upon us, it will still be worrying news for Bruce in terms of what the severity of Townsend’s injury could be, especially with another season in the Championship on the way for the Baggies.
Everyone at the Midlands club will surely be hoping for the best in terms of the defender’s recovery time and will be eager to see him get back out on the pitch as soon as possible.
In other news – Forget Grant: “Energetic” 88-touch West Brom dynamo stole the show against Reading
