Football League World
·11 February 2024
Football League World
·11 February 2024
Daryl Dike has suffered another injury setback during West Brom's 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Dike has suffered from multiple issues over the last few years, having joined Albion in the summer of 2022 to link back up with his former Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael for a reported £7 million fee.
The forward department has been especially hit by long-lasting injuries throughout Carlos Corberan’s tenure, with Brandon Thomas-Asante their only fit and senior striker available consistently due to persistent issues for Josh Maja and Dike.
Dike's torrid start to his Albion career with a number of ravaging injuries looked to be behind him since the turn of the year, scoring in an FA Cup victory against Aldershot, and providing cameo appearances in the three games prior to the one against Ipswich.
The former Barnsley striker has plenty of experience in the second-tier under his belt, and there was much optimism that Dike could be the missing piece to the Baggies’ goalscoring woes, given how strong they have been defensively this season.
However, just ten minutes into coming on, he went down injured again, and was required to leave the field. Dike looked visibly distressed at the latest blow in his career with the Baggies so far.
West Brom captain Jed Wallace took to Twitter (X) to voice his and his teammates' support for the striker. He said: "We’re all in with you @DarylDike.
"As a group of players, we would like to thank the fans who have sent messages of support to Daryl.
"We have a very tight-knit dressing room this season and although it was a good point yesterday against a really strong team, the general mood of the boys today is disappointment for a loved member of our squad. "We have all seen how hard he has worked in the last nine months to get back playing the game he loves. This is a family club and everyone within will support Daryl physically and mentally over the coming period.
"Thank you again. We all look forward to sharing the pitch with Daryl in the future."
His return to the team last year saw a flurry of goals for the American, including a spectacular headed goal at Sunderland following league resumption from the World Cup break, as well as a notched brace at home to Middlesbrough in February.
But in April on a trip to Stoke City, Dike suffered his third major injury of his Albion career, with a full rupture of his Achilles tendon ruling him out for six to nine months, and the fourth is a huge blow, given his quality.
The forward has played 32 times for West Brom in all competitions, scoring eight goals in the process, all but one of which came last season. He offers a strong physical presence and something slightly different to their other forwards, and Baggies fans and players alike will be hopeful it's not as serious as other previous issues.
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