West Brom: Tony Mowbray provides new Semi Ajayi, Daryl Dike updates | OneFootball

Baggies boss Tony Mowbray has revealed an illness has disrupted the Albion camp while Semi Ajayi and Daryl Dike step up their recoveries.

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray has confirmed one player will be absent for Saturday’s lunchtime clash with Sheffield Wednesday due to illness.

The Baggies host the Owls in B71 looking to put last week’s defeat to basement boys Plymouth Argyle behind them, with three points likely to strengthen their grip on the play-off places with some promotion rivals involved in FA Cup action.

Albion have been buoyed by an exciting end to the winter transfer window, recruiting the likes of Tammer Bany, Will Lankshear and Adam Armstrong, while earlier arrival Isaac Price has already shown the talent he possesses at the second tier level from appearances off the bench.

With the Baggies looking set to be more potent in forward areas, they have suffered a setback before a crunch Championship clash, with an unknown member of the team ruled out due to illness.

Meanwhile, Mowbray offered fitness updates on Semi Ajayi and Daryl Dike, who are nearing highly anticipated returns from hamstring and achilles injuries respectively.

Tony Mowbray reveals illness in West Brom camp and Semi Ajayi, Daryl Dike injury updates

Speaking ahead of West Brom’s clash with Sheffield Wednesday, Baggies boss Tony Mowbray revealed just one fresh fitness concern for Albion heading into their return to The Hawthorns, while Semi Ajayi and Daryl Dike will feature for the youth teams to build up much-needed minutes.

Reported by the Express & Star, Mowbray said: "I've just had conversations with [director of medical] Tony Strudwick about Dike. You could say the same about Semi and the same for maybe Frabotta and Cole. When do they play? I'm asking.

"I need to see all these players play. It's OK putting them in little boxes with drills. I'd like to see them all play in an under-21s game. You can only play three overage players.

"Dike has been out a fair while. I'm not sure it's right that he's trained for a couple of weeks to just stick him straight in the team. I would have more confidence watching them play. I've had the conversation with Semi. 'What about 45 minutes?' I'm coming to watch. Him having to react and deal with things.

"At all my clubs in the past - they play (for the youth team). If they are not getting games, then they play. They are here to play. So (they need to) want to play, show me, it's an opportunity to show me why you should be in our team."

The 61-year-old has committed to watching all of Albion’s U21 home fixtures, which are based at Solihull Moors.

West Brom squad strengthening ahead of important period

It's undoubtedly a blow that West Brom will be missing a player against Sheffield Wednesday, and given Tony Mowbray hasn’t shared who it is gives a signal that it could have affected a very important starter.

However, such an absence provides opportunities for other fringe players to stake a claim for a regular starting spot, while the likes of Adam Armstrong and Will Lankshear are sure to get Albion sharp in attack in order to get the better of Wednesday.

The Baggies have been plagued for the majority of the campaign with defensive injuries, so the imminent return of Semi Ajayi will help add experience to the backline and take some pressure off the aging Kyle Bartley, who has faced numerous injury problems himself.

Meanwhile, if Dike can keep himself fit, then the forward line for West Brom is stacked with appealing options for Mowbray to use, with the American international’s physicality and presence offering a dynamic edge that no other forward has in the squad.

Along with Josh Maja set to make a recovery in the spring, Albion have the potential to be explosive in front of opposition goals heading into such a crucial part of the season, giving themselves a fantastic opportunity to gain promotion back to the Premier League.