West Brom boss to make call on selection of Super Eagles striker for playoff clash against Southampton 

West Brom manager Carlos Corberan is taking a calm and calculated approach as he decides whether to include Super Eagles striker Josh Maja in his squad for the play-off semi-final second leg against Southampton on Friday. 

Maja was a surprise omission from the squad for the first-leg goalless draw at The Hawthorns on Sunday.

Corberan has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal, including Brandon Thomas-Asante, Andreas Weimann, and the versatile Jed Wallace.

He is not feeling pressured to make a decision and will assess Maja's fitness and form throughout the week before making a call.

Maja has endured a difficult first season with the club, suffering ankle ligament damage in September and a recurrence of the injury in December.

Despite his return to training, Corberan opted to leave him out of the squad for the first leg against Southampton.

The West Brom manager emphasized that Maja is an important player for the team, but he needs to consider the bigger picture. 

"If I didn't have a striker, the decision with Josh would be done," Corberan explained in quotes revealed by Birmingham Live.

"If I have another striker, the decision is different. I am not worried because I am going to have a striker anyway, so there are more decisions which are more important than that one. We signed Josh Maja as a number nine.

"He is a part of the process and he is an important player for us and he will be a very important player for us, but there are moments in which you need to see where you are right now. It's a decision that I still didn't make, but I will analyse the week and how the other players are and I will do the ordinary process I do to make a decision on this."

Corberan also confirmed that the team has no fresh injury worries ahead of the second leg, with the players training well and no new injuries reported.

The decision on Maja's inclusion will be made after careful consideration of the team's needs and the player's fitness.

Corberan is focused on ensuring his team is well-prepared for the challenge ahead, and he is confident that they can compete against one of the best teams in the Championship.

Ejim Kaycee

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