Football League World
·22 October 2024
Football League World
·22 October 2024
The defender will not be available for the trip to Ewood Park in midweek
West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan has revealed that defender Mason Holgate looks set to miss out on Wednesday’s trip to Blackburn Rovers due to injury.
The Everton loanee is yet to feature for the Baggies this season despite being named in the match day squad on multiple occasions, and his wait for first-team minutes looks set to continue after the setback while away with Jamaica.
Having made his international debut against Nicaragua earlier this month, the 28-year-old then featured in a goalless draw with Honduras days later, but has since picked up a minor issue that will see him unable to feature at Ewood Park.
While the injury only seems to be small, Corberan has stated that he is unwilling to risk the defender until he is 100% match-fit, with Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi and Torbjorn Heggem able to cover the central defensive areas.
Albion fans will have to wait even longer for the time they will see Holgate pull on a blue and white shirt once again, with a combination of back luck and the Baggies’ strong early form seeing him unable to break into the starting eleven so far.
With the latest setback, Corberan has confirmed that the minor setback will see him unable to compete in midweek, while his inclusion for Saturday’s hosting of Cardiff City at the Hawthorns could also be in doubt.
When asked on the situation, the Spaniard told the Birmingham Mail: "In his last game with the national team with Jamaica he felt something in the quad. It doesn't look very serious, but from the day of the scan it looks like he will be out for one week.
"Holgate is in the same situation as the previous game. He wants to put himself ready, but it would be a risk to increase an injury that is small, with no sense, so he will stay in the same situation and all of the other players are fine for now."
As the Baggies boss eluded to above, Albion have very few injury concerns heading to Lancashire on Wednesday, with Holgate the only new setback as they look to arrest a winless run of four league games.
Having started the season with 16 points from a possible 18, the Black Country outfit have failed to continue that momentum of late, with defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough followed up by draws with Millwall and Oxford United.
Saturday’s point at the Kassam Stadium saw Dane Scarlett score in injury time to see that run without a victory continue, with a trip to a Rovers side that have won all of their home matches this season on the horizon.
Holgate missed out on the match day squad for the weekend’s clash, just as he will in midweek, and joins Albion’s only other notable absentee Daryl Dike in the medical room, although the American looks set to return to first-team action sooner rather than later after a lengthy injury layoff of his own.
With just one goal in their last three outings, it is clear to see where the issues lie for Corberan at this moment in time, with the early-season form of Josh Maja, Tom Fellows and Karlan Grant tailing off of late, as they try to keep pace with the leading pack at the top of the Championship.