West Brom received a worrying blow ahead of the season run-in when it was announced on Thursday that experienced midfielder Gareth Barry would be missing for the rest of the campaign.

The 38-year-old is set to have surgery on a knee injury that has been plaguing him since the start of March, giving Jimmy Shan yet another selection headache.

The Baggies currently sit in fourth place with four matches remaining to make up the nine-point gap between them and the automatic promotion places.

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This Easter weekend sees them welcome Hull City to the West Midlands on Good Friday before travelling to relegation threatened Reading on Easter Monday.

There is one player, however, who will surely see the positives in this blow to his teammate and be keen to sneak into the starting XI this weekend.

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Sam Field is a player who was destined for great things once upon a time but his progression has stuttered in recent seasons.

This campaign has seen the 20-year-old make just ten Championship appearances, scoring once, and has not played since a four minute cameo in the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town.

But, with a competitor now out of the way, he will surely be eager to stake a serious claim for a starting spot and prove that he can still be a top servant to his club.