Carlos Corberán gave an update on the health of three Albion players after Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory against QPR.
At The Hawthorns, fellow defenders Semi Ajayi and Conor Townsend were not engaged in the game as Cedric Kipre hobbled off in the closing moments.
Kipre has a knee problem, the manager disclosed, and he will undergo more testing on Wednesday.
In addition, Corberán called Ajayi’s ailment “ankle-related,” adding that Townsend’s absence was due to illness.
He said: “It’s difficult to face a situation when you are having a lot of injuries.
“It’s true that we’ve had a period where we haven’t had some of the attacking players who are important for us.
“Semi Ajayi, when he was p
laying in the last ten minutes of the Plymouth game, he turned his ankle. He suffered the same injury as he had before the international break.
“Tonight, Cedric Kipre, in one action has turned his knee. It looks like it’s going to be a serious injury.
“We will know more tomorrow, but we know it’s not going to be a question of days. It’s going to be a question of, hopefully weeks, but unfortunately, maybe months.
“Conor Townsend was sick tonight so he wasn’t involved. He’s not injured.
“Conor Townsend wasn’t involved since he was unwell tonight. He is not hurt.Preview: Coventry vs. West Brom
Preview: Coventry vs. West Brom
With Albion in need of repair heading to Coventry tonight, and their list of absences becoming longer by the minute, Carlos Corberan is weighing his defensive alternatives.
Shortly after accepting a painful roster of attacking injury victims, the head coach is considering a back-of-the-field rethink to address some potentially significant absences.
The availability of Cedric Kipre, the team’s top center defender this season, is crucial for tonight’s game at CBS Arena. Thankfully, Kipre’s knee injury from last Tuesday’s victory against QPR was not as bad as initially thought.
However, the 26-year-old is still questionable for the Sky Blues match, which will be broadcast, while Semi Ajayi, his defensive center partner, is nearly likely to miss out due to an ankle injury.
It renders Corberan, in his typical configuration of a five-man defense, short. The Spanish player is certain, but he still has the choice to line up as a back five or go to
a back four today evening, referring to Erik Pieters and Kyle Bartley as an experienced duo for the latter. But thus far this season, a back four has not been common.
