Bruce wants USA boss to give Daryl Dike time to recover

The American striker joined Albion in a £7million deal from Orlando City back in January.

But he suffered a hamstring injury on his full debut and hasn’t featured again since.

Although he is now close to full fitness, Bruce has said it is unlikely he will risk Dike this season.

But this week the USA announced they will play four fixtures next month for which the centre-forward is likely to be available.

The Stars & Stripes will play Morocco in a friendly in Cincinnati on June 1. A second friendly will take place on June 5.

America will then play a Concacaf Nations League double-header against Granada on June 10 and El Salvador on June 14.

Bruce, though, doesn’t want Dike involved in those games.

“We’re going to have to have a conversation with the USA because he is still not right,” the boss said.

“To ask him, when he’s been out for four months, to go and play in a game without any pre-season.

“We’ll have to have those conversations with the relevant people.

“That’s on my agenda. It’s just not right for him to be anywhere near it.

“As we speak now he is still not fit. We’re doing everything we can to give him a chance for next year.

“I’ve said before pre-season will be massive for him so I hope common sense will prevail.”

Meanwhile, Bruce has challenged his players to finish the season as strongly as possible.

The Baggies, who host Coventry today, are rooted in mid-table with three games to play.

“We have to try and finish the season off in some sort of fashion,” the 61-year-old said.

“I think everyone concerned with this club will accept that this season just hasn’t been good enough, myself included.

“We haven’t been able to arrest the slide in the two or three months that I’ve been at the club.

“We need to finish as strongly as we possibly can and put things in place for next year, which will be crucial.”