West Bromwich Albion’s injury concerns continue to ease following the news that veteran defender Martin Kelly is edging closer to a return, according to Birmingham Live.
The 33-year-old has endured a torrid time at the Hawthorns since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2022, where he joined as a free agent following his release from Crystal Palace.
He didn’t have to wait long to hook up with the first team squad and he started four successive games throughout October. However, Steve Bruce’s dismissal and the appointment of Carlos Corberan spelt bad news for the ex-Liverpool man, and he fell out of favour before joining Wigan Athletic on loan in January this year.
Things then went from bad to worse, when Kelly suffered a knee injury on his debut for the Latics and he returned to the West Midlands with just the one appearance under his belt.
It has now been revealed that the versatile defender is nearing a return to full fitness. This could be a major boost for the Baggies boss, who will be looking for depth as they continue their unlikely assault towards a play-off place. Speaking recently, Corberan explained how he plans to reintegrate the one-time England international back into the squad;
“In this moment in time, Kelly is going to start to try and win game time in the next month, with the under 21s. We’re hoping to give him this possibility because normally he’ll have a more individual plan. During this plan, he’ll have the chance to play some minutes in the B team.”
West Brom have been one of the surprise packages of the Championship this season and they currently sit just outside the play-off places in seventh. However, they are level on points with sixth-placed Sunderland and host high-flying Ipswich Town this evening. Both John Swift and Josh Maja are set to return to the squad following their respective injuries.
Writer’s View
Kelly’s move to West Brom proved to be a disaster, but there is a chance that he could provide quality cover for Carlos Corberan if he can prove his fitness.
He is a defender with bags of Premier League experience, something that cannot be sniffed at in the Championship. Although he wasn’t trusted by the Spaniard last season, having a player of his calibre is a major boost, especially as continued talks of a takeover may halt any potential January transfer plans.
Head of Writing
