West Brom winger Jeremy Sarmiento, on loan from Brighton, will be out for the next month due to a muscular issue.
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has stated that Jeremy Sarmiento will miss the rest of the season after suffering a muscular injury in the aftermath of his sole Baggies appearance in the 0-0 draw with Millwall. Corberan gave Ecuador international Sarmiento, who had been loaned from Brighton in the summer, his first start against the Lions, and he came off the substitute against Preston on Saturday.
The reason for his return to the bench, though, was because of what Albion’s medical department deemed to be fatigue in the muscle following his first start, and his largest portion of competitive minutes for quite some time, having had his game-time restricted at the Seagulls. Sarmiento completed another cameo at Deepdale, but he still complained of pain in his quads over the weekend and was sent for scans. He wasn’t involved at all in the win over Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.
The results returned a diagnosis which Albion and Corberan didn’t want, nor did they need after the injury suffered to another summer arrival in Josh Maja, at Bristol City last month. Sarmiento will now be unavailable to the Spaniard for at least the next four weeks.
“The risk with Jeremy to play the game, whenever he is playing more minutes, always there is a risk because he’s a player who hasn’t had the habit to play games,” Corberan said. “It looked like he was recovering well, from the game against Millwall, and I had him in mind when we were preparing for Preston, but from the muscle perspective he arrived at Preston with half a full recovery.
West Brom player ratings as Swift & Mowatt boss Sheffield Wednesday
“He was experiencing quadriceps soreness. Our medical department determined that it was simply a result of gaming tiredness after a long period of not playing. That’s why I decided not to start him against Preston, and I’d have him available from the bench. He was playing for a few minutes when he felt soreness in the muscle, namely the left quadricep.
“He was receiving treatment for this pain on Sunday, and when the doctors checked – when the pain was there and didn’t go away, they made a scan – yesterday, it showed an injury.” It will keep him away from the group for four weeks. It’s challenging.”
With Pipa only limited to a cameo at Preston at the weekend and with Darnell Furlong still preferred at right wing-back, Albion are now struggling for the next month – at the very least – to feel any benefits of their transfer window, having only been able to add three new faces over the course of the summer.
“The fact we don’t have Maja or Sarmiento for the next four weeks, the two players who we brought to the club to help the attack, it is difficult to accept,” Corberan added. “The first injury of Maja was an accident, in an action that from the point of view of the referee wasn’t a penalty. We lost him for eight weeks.
“The next one, Sarmiento, was because the recovery of the game wasn’t right and he suffered an injury for the minutes he was playing, something we knew could happen. It’s something that I have been very, very conscious about, when I’ve given minutes to him. He had some history of injuries, plus no habit to play games.
“When you force him to play more minutes, you are taking a risk – as a club, we need to be in the highest level of awareness, to reduce the risk of suffering injury. It’s difficult, because when I heard yesterday that he would be injured for four weeks, it’s going to affect you. It doesn’t mean we don’t have solutions, but I never want to lose any player.”
West Brom player ratings
Palmer 8
Quiet opening half for Palmer, until he was asked to deal with Bakinson’s dipping shot, which he met and tipped over impressively. Big block to deny Fletcher before the break. Slightly nervy moment at the end with miscommunication with Pieters evident.
Furlong 7
The quality of some of Furlong’s crosses were excellent, although there was an element of fortune that his ball for Wallace in the lead up to Swift’s opener reached its destination after a mistake from Famewo. Plenty of energy down the right and some nice skill as Albion dominated.
Kipre 7
Occasional slip, as he did here about five minutes before half time when he gave the ball up, but Kipre was positive and adventurous in the first half and joined in with moves around the edges of the Wednesday box. The weight of pass was often superb. A key component of this back-line.
Bartley 7
A constant threat and player of interest in the Wednesday penalty area, as Albion looked to tap into his aerial threat. Almost turned home his second goal in four days and then set up Phillips’ half-chance. Pretty routine work in the second half.
Pieters 7
Made a bit of a hash of dealing with a bouncing ball which led to Delgado almost turning home Fletcher’s low cross, and then there was momentary confusion between him and Palmer, but otherwise Pieters was as assured here as he was at Preston.
Phillips 7
Some of the triangles on the left along with ball players Swift and Mowatt were often great to watch and caused Wednesday plenty of issues. Just missing that final killer touch, whether that might’ve been a shot on goal or a delivery from wide. Plenty of hard work.
Yokuslu 7
Slowly getting back to his best. Some good battles won and neat passes made, particularly in the closing stages when Wednesday had no choice but to up the tempo. A very tidy evening without absolutely stealing the show as he so often has in the last 15 months or so.
Mowatt 8
It’s remarkable how at home he looks, considering this was just his third start for Albion since 2022. Ran the show from deep, knitting moves together, always on hand to receive the ball and kept things simple but positive. Looks like he’s been a part of this Albion XI for ages.
Swift 8*
Exquisitely taken opening goal by Albion’s top scorer of the season. Enjoyed himself in the opening half hour as Albion dominated the ball and the chances. Real understanding being developed with Mowatt in behind him. Along with Phillips at wing-back, they were a pleasure to watch at times. Crunching tackle late on reflected his work off the ball.
Wallace 7
After his earnest showing up top on Saturday, he was back here on the right and collected another assist when teeing up Swift – he looked up and picked out his man. Lots of pressing from the front before he shifted up top for the closing stages.
Thomas-Asante 6
Having sat out Saturday as Albion manage his workload, it was always expected that Asante would come back into the side here. It wasn’t the striker’s most effective night, and although he always will put the work in, things just didn’t come off for him in the penalty area.
Substitutes
Townsend (for Phillips 69) 6
Won a header from a corner and helped to run the clock down in the closing stages when offering himself as an outlet and an overlap down the left.
Diangana (for Thomas-Asante 86)
Chalobah (for Swift 90)
Substitutes not used: Griffiths, Pipa, Taylor, Molumby, Ajayi, Fellows.
Sheffield Wednesday starting XI: Vasquez; Palmer, Vaulks (Buckley 77), Iorfa, Delgado (Valentin 58), Bernard, Bakinson (Hendrick 77), Famewo, Smith, Fletcher (Gassama 64), Musaba (Wilks 77).
Substitutes not used: Dawson, Byers, Gregory, Paterson.
GOALS
Albion – Swift 13.
The ref: John Busby.
Attendance: 22,553 (1,919 away).
Up next: Birmingham City (A) – Friday, 6 October, 8pm kick off.