West Brom’s striker, Josh Maja, had to leave the field due to an injury sustained from a challenge by Sunderland’s Dan Ballard in their Championship match at the Stadium of Light. Following Sunderland’s 2-1 victory, Ballard expressed his well-wishes for Maja’s swift recovery. Maja, who had recently returned from a similar injury, suffered an ankle injury as a result of Ballard’s first-half tackle, deemed “reckless” by Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips, leading to a yellow card for Ballard.
When questioned about the incident, Ballard, who had experienced a foot injury last season, mentioned his intent to win the ball and expressed sympathy for Maja’s situation.
He acknowledged the unpleasantness of a player getting injured and sincerely hoped for Maja’s quick recuperation, emphasizing that he never intends to harm a fellow player.
Baggies boss Carlos Corberan refrained from passing judgment on Ballard’s tackle, stating that the assessment should be based on TV images. Corberan expressed dissatisfaction with the unfairness of Maja’s situation, highlighting the challenges the player faced since joining without a pre-season and encountering a previous foul without receiving a penalty decision.