£7m signing set to miss Watford v West Brom plus 7 others
carlos corberan tom cleverley watford west bromwich albion
Sunday afternoon’s clash between Watford and West Bromwich Albion represents a huge test for both sides in their shared bid to clinch a play-off spot come the end of the season.
Watford will be vying to return to winning ways at Vicarage Road after playing out successive draws against Hull City and QPR, although Tom Cleverley’s side have been more competitive than many had expected and find themselves in eighth-place ahead of this weekend’s encounter, where they may fancy their chances amid a run of just one defeat in the last eight.
They could have their work cut out, though, as West Brom will travel to Watford with an astounding unbeaten run under their belt. Carlos Corberan’s outfit have not lost a single league match since the start of October, with 10 of their last 12 matches ending in a draw.
Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat of Frank Lampard’s Coventry City, however, will be a rightful cause for confidence for the Baggies, who are still retaining the final play-off spot at this moment in time but could lose out on it if they lose to the Hornets.
Ahead of the showdown between the two top-six candidates, Football League World looks at the eight players set to miss out.
The first absentee for Sunday’s affair is 20-year-old defender Kevin Keben, who has played just one minute of football for the club since his summer arrival from Toulouse.
Keben joined Watford with a knee issue and could be sidelined for a further two months after completing surgery.
Watford will also be without Tom Dele-Bashiru, with the midfielder having recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.
That was confirmed by Cleverley at the end of last month, and the Watford boss said ahead of Albion’s visit that Dele-Bashiru remains sidelined for the time being. The 25-year-old hasn’t played since Watford’s 3-0 defeat to local rivals Luton Town on October 19.
The final absentee for the hosts is experienced central defender Angelo Ogbonna, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury but is set to return for next weekend’s fixture against Burnley.
Ogbonna joined Watford in the summer following his exit from West Ham United and has made just four appearances. However, his experience and proven quality at the highest level means Watford will be keen to have him back soon.
Grady Diangana
Grady Diangana scores for West Brom against Leeds United
West Brom have a longer list of absentees, of which Grady Diangana is one. The talented winger has endured a disappointing season and hasn’t played in more than a month after picking up a calf injury.
Diangana was poised to make his return against Coventry, but Corberan confirmed the Congolese international “felt pain” before the game and was promptly left out of the matchday squad. Therefore, it’s unlikely Diangana will be in contention to face Watford.
Kyle Bartley
Kyle Bartley West Brom
It appears similarly unlikely that Kyle Bartley will be in contention to start at Vicarage Road. The 33-year-old only managed to come on for the final 20 minutes against Coventry as he didn’t have the requisite energy to start, according to Corberan.
Just where that leaves Bartley remains to be seen, but the chances of him making the starting line-up do feel slim and that’s a real blow for the Baggies.
Semi Ajayi
semi ajayi sam gallagher
West Brom have a few long-term absentees, too, and it’s unlikely they’ll be seeing Semi Ajayi anytime soon.
The Nigerian defender suffered a serious hamstring injury which required surgery during a draw against former side Cardiff City back in October, and was ruled out for 16 weeks by Corberan.
Paddy McNair
Paddy McNair goes down injured for West Brom
Corberan has something of a defensive crisis on his hands at the minute, and he lost another defender against the Bluebirds in the form of Paddy McNair. The former Manchester United and Middlesbrough defender, who is currently on loan from MLS side San Diego, was also forced off in the opening minutes with a hamstring injury.
McNair’s prognosis wasn’t quite so severe as he was ruled out for approximately eight weeks, but he hasn’t returned to action yet and the jury is out on whether he’ll play for the Baggies again.
Daryl Dike
Daryl Dike for West Brom
Lastly, a return may be on the horizon for injury-plagued striker Daryl Dike, but Sunday’s trip down south will come too soon for him.
The American forward has been plagued with setbacks ever since his £7m arrival from Orlando City in January 2022, and he’s racked up just 32 appearances in nearly three years.
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