West Brom manager James Shan has revealed he has not got his head around the injury problem plaguing Ahmed Hegazi as he confirms doubts over his immediate availability.
The Egyptian defender was missing for the last Championship outing for the Baggies, a 0-0 draw with Reading, and with two games to go the club have sealed their place in the playoffs for this season.
However, Shan has cast Hegazi’s chances of playing in the hunt for promotion into doubt, insisting that the centre back is resting for now with an issue which has the manager flummoxed.
He told the Express and Star: “It’s a tricky one with Ahmed because it’s a manageable one. He is being rested, we’ll seek further advice from the experts on what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.
“It’s one the medical team have explained to me 100,000 times and I don’t quite understand. He’s got a bit of discomfort and he needs to manipulate something back into place. I’m told it’s not serious, but it’s something we need to have a look at.”
Opinion
So long as the medical staff at West Brom know what they are doing, the fans at the Hawthorns should not be too worried about Shan’s inability to grasp exactly what the problem is. However, the fact it is so confusing suggests that it is maybe a more complicated issue than initially thought and the fact it needs careful management over the next couple of weeks will surely have the supporters worrying about his chances for the play off legs and potential final they face. He is undoubtedly one of the best defenders that Shan has at his disposal and the manager would definitely rather have him in the starting XI than watching on from the sidelines. Of course, he cannot afford to take any risks on the health of his players and if Hegazi is still struggling then the medical staff need to make the manager aware of that. One to watch moving forward, as it could have a big say on whether the Baggies are back in the Premier League next season.