West Bromwich Albion will be looking to build on their emphatic victory at Preston North End when they host basement boys Sheffield Wednesday at the Hawthorns in midweek.
The Baggies dismantled the Lilywhites at Deepdale to move up to eighth in the Championship table and Carlos Corberan’s men will be aiming to make a charge into the play-off places if they can secure another three points in front of the Albion faithful.
After achieving one of the results of the weekend, it sees the Black Country outfit extend their unbeaten run to four matches, while their opponents Wednesday are enduring a miserable start.
The Owls under Xisco Munoz find themselves rooted to the foot of the second tier table with just two points from their opening nine games and to make matters worse, they have not tasted victory at the Hawthorns since 2007.
Here at Football League World, we detail the WBA players who are set to miss Tuesday evening’s clash with Wednesday.
Josh Maja
The acquisition of Josh Maja from Bordeaux earlier this summer excited everyone associated with the West Midlands club, but the 24-year-old will be sidelined for a while after injuring ankle ligaments in the Baggies’ goalless draw at Bristol City in September.
The club confirmed that the Nigerian international would be out for the next eight weeks, dealing a severe blow to Corberan, who now has just Brandon Thomas-Asante as a recognised striker.
Maja will miss the game against the Owls due to the timetable, but he might return after the November international break at the earliest.
Daryl Dike
Daryl Dike, a USA international, continues to make progress after rupturing his achilles last season at Stoke City in April, adding to the forward injury issues.
This is Dike’s third significant injury in his 15-month stint with Albion, and he underwent successful surgery.
Dike is not expected to return until December at the earliest, but after suffering another long-term injury in such a short period of time, the former Barnsley striker could be out until early 2024.
Adam Reach
Adam Reach is another long-term absentee after injuring his quad in a pre-season friendly against Burton Albion.
The 30-year-old has had a lot of second-tier experience, having played for Albion, Middlesbrough, Preston North End, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Reach’s versatility, capable of playing at full back, left flank, or central midfield, is a major loss for the WBA side, with the utility man an essential component to have in the lengthy voyage of the Championship.
Reach will miss a reunion with his former employers after undergoing successful surgery and is expected to remain out until December.
Martin Kelly
Martin Kelly is up next, with the veteran central defender still recovering from a major knee injury sustained while on loan at Wigan Athletic last season.
The 33-year-old was supposed to be back on the field with the sports science team in August, but Corberan provided an update, saying Kelly had started technical drills with one of the coaches last week.
There is no clear timeframe for his comeback, and the former Crystal Palace man is certain to miss the Sheffield Wednesday match.
Semi Ajayi
Semi Ajayi rounds out the lineup, having established himself as a mainstay under Corberan at the start of the season.
After twisting his ankle in training last weekend, the Nigerian international was forced to miss their romping victory over Preston and now faces a race against time to be fit for their clash at the Hawthorns.
With no update on the central defender’s fitness, the 29-year-old’s availability remains in doubt.
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