Promising Josh Maja update could be timely lift for West Brom top-six race

The Nigerian frontman is yet to kick a ball since Tony Mowbray returned to The Hawthorns as head coach in the middle of January.

Maja's last appearance was in the 1-1 draw at Swansea on January 4, just a few days after he had fired a brace against Preston on New Year's Day to take his tally for the season to 12 in just 26 outings.

The former Sunderland striker then broke down with what Albion described as a lower leg injury. Maja was initially estimated to miss six to eight weeks, putting him in line for a mid-to-late March return, but updates further down the line went on to suggest April and potentially only appearances in the play-offs in May - if Albion got there - for Maja.

Now, though, he has made progress and stepped up physical work and is pushing to return to training. Mowbray said: "I was coming off the training pitch on Tuesday and walking past the pitch at the front and he's on the grass with his boots on running, doing fitness work.

"It's the first time I've seen him on the grass with his boots on. I'm not sure how long the medical team wants to see him twist, turn and jump and stuff like that, dynamic stuff.

"He's getting closer, but obviously the season is three weeks or potentially five weeks away from the end, so if he's going to be back he's got to start to join in well some time soon."

Maja, 26, has been a huge miss for Albion in the second half of the campaign. The striker is player Mowbray rates having previously come close to signing him for Blackburn Rovers.

He missed almost the entirety of his debut season last year with two separate ankle injuries and was unable to make it back for the play-off ties against Southampton.

Maja won big plaudits for his displays and decisive goals in the first half of the season and had been linked to several Premier League clubs prior to his injury.

Albion moved late in the transfer window in a bid to replace his goals with the loan deal of Southampton's Adam Armstrong, but the move has so far disappointed. Will Lankshear was also brought in temporarily from Tottenham for more cover and competition.