'Green light' for Daryl Dike as he steps up West Brom return

The United States international striker, 24, has not played since February due to a second ruptured Achilles injury with the Baggies.

Powerful frontman Dike was set to train with Albion’s under-21s for a final time yesterday before he joins up with senior colleagues later this week. It has already been confirmed he will turn out for the youth side before first-team action. Richard Beale’s men next play on Saturday and on Friday week.

“Before he plays with the under-21s he must train with the first team,” said Corberan, whose side face Blackburn on Wednesday night. “He hasn’t done that yet. He must do game situation drills with the first-team.

“Today (Tuesday) is the last day of him making game situations with the under-21s. We understand that after he completes training with the under-21s, he will have the green light to be introduced to drill games with the first team.”

The career of £7million signing Dike has been wrecked by injuries since his switch to The Hawthorns from Orlando City in his homeland in January 2022 under then boss Valerien Ismael.

He has spent more than two years of the last three receiving treatment for a couple of severe muscles injuries before rupturing each Achilles in the space of a year.

Corberan added he is ‘calm’ about the striker’s return to first-team consideration, with Albion not blessed with natural options in that department alongside Josh Maja and Devante Cole.

The boss added: “Dike was an important player who was brought to the club nearly three years ago. I understand there are going to be expectations on him.

“I am managing calmly his process to come back with the group. He has suffered two important injuries which have meant he has been 16,17,18 months out of the last 24 months.

“When this happens, the introduction isn’t the one he would like or we would – as if he is 100 per cent and ready to compete after a pre-season. It’s not like this. We must manage how he reacts to the load of training, to the game, to everything we must manage well.”

On seven-goal top scorer Maja’s ability to potentially play alongside a centre-forward colleague, Corberan said: “I think Maja, because of his skills, is a player who can play with every single striker, if the striker is different to him. He can be with a running striker, he can play with a presence striker.

“He can play even with a similar striker to him as a number nine or number 10. Let’s say he is a nine-and-a-half. He can play high up the pitch or drop more. He can play perfectly as a number ten too. He can play alone, or with another striker.”