West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has admitted the club needs to monitor striker Daryl Dike as he returns to training.

The USA international returned to the West Brom squad in the final game before the World Cup break, ending a three-month absence. The striker came off the bench in stoppage time as the Baggies beat Stoke City 2-0.

The 22-year-old, whose hopes of a spot in the USA World Cup squad were dashed by a lack of game time, has endured a nightmare time with injury since his £7 million arrival at The Hawthorns in January.

The Baggies returned to training today following a week's break, and Corberan hopes to use this break as a time to put more ideas across to the team. It is also a time for players like Dike to get back up to full fitness as they head off to a training camp in Spain.

Former Barnsley forward Dike impressed with a goal-filled loan spell at Oakwell under Valerien Ismael, who moved to Hawthorns and took Dike with him on a permanent deal from Orlando City.

But Ismael was axed shortly after the US international's arrival, and Dike's Albion start broke down due to a hamstring tear that ruled him out of the remainder of the campaign.

It was expected that the striker would follow a pre-season programme, but hopes were dashed when the centre-forward pulled up with a serious thigh injury just prior to the second Championship game of the season.

However, now that Dike has returned to the matchday squad, Corberan believes the club will now start seeing the real potential of the striker, but he still must be monitored and looked after because of his long injury layoff.

Corberan told the Express and Star: “He is still one young player with a lot of potential in front of him. He's one player we need to manage very well the intensity in training and the number of trainings in a row.

"At the same time, he's one player we need to evaluate very well to work specifically. He's one player that the more time he trains, the more time he competes in a row, is when we can see the skills he has as a player. And as a player, of course he's a box striker."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict

This World Cup break is now the ideal chance for West Brom to get Dike up to full fitness.

The training camp and friendlies they will play are the ideal preparation Corberan can use to get the USA striker firing. If they can do this and keep him fit, the 22-year-old could become a real asset and a player who can drag the Baggies away from danger.

Dike still has plenty to offer in the Championship and at West Brom, so as long as he can stay fit, everyone knows what type of striker Albion will have on their hands and what a difference he could make in terms of where they finish this current season.