West Brom's Matt Phillips and Josh Maja surgery update as Daryl Dike and Reyes Cleary addressed

The pair were both ruled out for between four and five months inside the space of a week after injuries in defeats against Leicester and Sunderland.

Boss Carlos Corberan said previously that surgery would be considered in both cases and following second opinions from medics, both were scheduled for operation, with Phillips' having taken place on Wednesday.

Albion welcome managerless Stoke on Sunday lunchtime without the duo, who have face a race to feature again before the end of the season.

Corberan told the Express & Star on Friday in his pre-Stoke press conference: "He had the surgery two days ago after seeing the second consultant. The injury affects his tendon, he proceeded to the surgery because it's the more safe way to fix it, even though it is going to extend by three weeks, normally the risk to re-injure decreases a lot.

"Same situation (with Maja), another necessary surgery, his time is going to increase a little bit more, all the ligaments in the ankle are broke and the tackle affects his knee too. He will be around 20 weeks out from the group."

Albion have been boosted, meanwhile, by the news that long-term absentee Daryl Dike has stepped up his return from around eight months injured.

The United States international frontman ruptured his Achilles at Sunday's opponents Stoke in April, his third major injury in two years at The Hawthorns.

But Dike has began to partake in some non-contact drills in Albion training, as well as analytical work - though is not yet ready to to step up to full team training.

Corberan confirmed to the Express & Star that Dike will not feature for Albion before the turn of the year.

"Yes, it is impossible to do this (expect too much)," Corberan said of Dike. "We need to be patient with him and manage the situation well, he's been a lot of time injured out of the group and we need to manage well everything we do with him.

"The positive thing is now he starts to integrate making some of the drills with the group, it doesn't mean he is training with the group, but some of the drills the medical staff consider ready to do. In-game situation drills he still can't be involved, in this type of injury there is a level of strength the player needs before the normal things with the group.

"It's going to be impossible for him to come back to the group before next year, so 2024, that's when we can start to be thinking of the normal integration and from there you can see how he reacts first. The first thing we need to do is integrate him in normal training situations and after it depends how he reacts, we will see. To put a time is not possible."

Another Albion attacker has been dealt a devastating injury blow, with young prospect Reyes Cleary not set to feature until the spring.

The 19-year-old injured his hamstring in Birmingham Senior Cup action at non-league Darlaston Town three weeks ago and is set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines with four weeks out.

It is the other leg to the hamstring injury Cleary suffered at Stourbridge in April, which ruled him out of pre-season and didn't see him return until a couple of months ago.

Cleary may have been in line for a loan to a Football League club in the January window, as the last injury scuppered a summer move, but that will not be possible.

Corberan said: "In the last time he played with the under-21s he suffered again with a hamstring injury, an injury that is going to move him around four months out, he has suffered again the injury after 20 minutes playing in the under-21 cup game.

"It's always a difficult moment for every young player, it's difficult to accept and now it is starting the process again in recovery, something tough but again something as a player he needs to face."