West Brom boss Carlos Corberan admits he can’t enjoy his side’s win over Queens Park Rangers after centre-half Cedric Kipre suffered what appeared to be a very serious injury in the second half of the 2-0 victory.
Kipre, who has been a player transformed this season having been reintegrated into the squad by Corberan, following a loan spell with Cardiff City, landed awkwardly when he contested an aerial ball and needing helping off the pitch by Albion medical staff. While the period of time he is set to be sidelined for can’t be yet exacted, Kipre is expected to spend the foreseeable future out of the team alongside the host of existing injury victims.
Corberan, who mustn’t be able to believe the misfortune he and his squad are currently having to endure with so many players unavailable all at once – the bench here for the QPR game consisted of six academy products, five of them 20 years old or younger – can only hope that the injury means weeks, rather than months, out.
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“It’s not the best news with him, or the injuries we are having. Kipre looks like a serious injury, we’ll know something more on Wednesday,” he said. “I don’t know if it going to be weeks or months. We need to see how much, but it is the more negative point of this game, to lose another player. We are losing many players, but in actions that aren’t muscle injuries. It is painful to lose players who decrease the possibilities in the team.
“He’s an important player. We are working with him a lot to make sure his concentration is always high, but he has some very good conditions as a player – that’s why he’s playing, it’s why we believe in him and that’s why it’s a pity to lose any player, but to lose someone playing in the first XI is even harder.
“I don’t know if it’s bad luck, but it’s the most negative point now in the mind, because you cannot enjoy the win because you have lost a player in the team.”
Albion’s injury woes ahead of the trip to Coventry City on Monday aren’t likely to be improved by the return of Semi Ajayi, either; the centre half, who has found himself out of the starting XI lately, hurt ankle ligaments in the draw with Plymouth on Saturday. Corberan, who’ll welcome Conor Townsend back from illness, admits it’ll be a ‘miracle’ if he returns in time to feature at the CBS Arena.
“Ajayi played the last week ten minutes at the end of the game at the weekend and he suffered an injury in the ankle. Townsend was sick, he wasn’t involved today,” he added. “On Monday Ajayi came into training and he couldn’t walk. He turned his ligament in the ankle. It will be a miracle if he is ready for Coventry.”
