West Bromwich Albion midfielder Alex Mowatt is to be closely monitored by the Baggies ahead of tomorrow night's trip to face Swansea City, according to manager Valerien Ismael who delivered an injury update to the club's media team.
The 26-year-old was forced to withdraw from the West Midlands derby against Birmingham City on the hour mark last Friday after sustaining another knock to his toe, a major blow for Ismael's men despite being able to grab a 75th-minute winner through Karlan Grant.
He has started each one of the Baggies' 12 league games so far this season, being one of the first names on the teamsheet alongside captain Jake Livermore and limiting Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Jayson Molumby's involvement thus far.
22-year-old Molumby played well in the final half an hour against the Blues - and is in line for his maiden start for the West Midlands outfit if Mowatt fails to recover in time - with fellow summer signing Quevin Castro a more inexperienced option they could utilise.
One man who won't be available in time for tomorrow evening's clash at the Swansea.com Stadium is winger Grady Diangana, who is currently recovering from a hamstring problem but could be in contention to face Bristol City at the weekend.
Speaking more in-depth about the current state of play with injuries, manager Ismael said: "We’ll assess Alex (Mowatt) before the game at Swansea.
"We’re going to keep a close eye on things and how he is before we make a decision on him.
"Grady (Diangana) won’t be available for the game because he only had his first session with the group on Tuesday.
"It’s too close for him to be able to play.
"If everything goes correctly then hopefully him being available for Saturday won’t be a problem."
The Verdict:
Having Mowatt available for this tie would be a major boost, but if missing out means he can play 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon and carry on normally from then, then it has to be worth taking the risk and leaving him out completely or have him on the bench.
Other players can fill in alongside Livermore, but this highlights the potential need to have one more orthodox option in central midfield for sufficient squad depth in the event of injuries and/or suspensions.
Molumby is a good replacement though - and after only receiving a limited number of minutes on the pitch since his arrival at The Hawthorns - he will be desperate to grab this possible opportunity to start with both hands.
This motivation to do well can only benefit the Baggies who will need to be on their A-game tomorrow if they want to come away from South Wales with all three points.
Russell Martin's men will have gained a huge amount of confidence from their resounding 3-0 win against Cardiff City on Sunday - and Ismael's defence will need to keep an eye on the likes of Joel Piroe and Jamie Paterson who both look a threat going forward.