Express & Star

West Brom managing Daryl Dike's training schedule for 'maximum potential'

Carlos Corberan admits Albion will need to monitor Daryl Dike's training schedule to ensure maximum potential.

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Dike completed his comeback from more than three months on the sidelines with a thigh problem in coming on in stoppage time of the 2-0 win against Stoke, which signed the Baggies off for the World Cup break.

The United States international, whose hopes of a tournament spot were dashed by a lack of game time, has endured a nightmare time with injury since his £7million arrival at The Hawthorns in January.

Head coach Corberan believes the club will see the full potential in Dike when he racks up regular unbroken playing and training time.

"He is still one young player with a lot of potential in front of him," Corberan said when asked about 22-year-old Dike.

"He's one player we need to manage very well the intensity in training and the number of trainings in a row.

"At the same time he's one player we need to evaluate very well to work specifically. He's one player that the more time he trains, the more time he competes in a row, is when we can see the skills he has as a player.

"And as a player, of course he's a box striker."

Corberan's men are back in training at the club's Walsall HQ today (Monday), following a week off, as the head coach plots to further translate his ideas and methods on the squad – ahead of a camp in Spain, which begins on Sunday.

Ex-Barnsley forward Dike impressed with a goal-filled loan spell at Oakwell under Valerien Ismael, who moved to pay big bucks to bring the powerful frontman to Albion on a permanent deal from Orlando City while in charge at The Hawthorns.

But Ismael was axed shortly after the US international's arrival and Dike's Albion start broke down due to a hamstring tear that ruled him out of the remainder of the campaign.

It was planned that, following a pre-season programme, Dike would be the squad's talisman forward this season, but hopes were dashed when the centre-forward pulled up with a serious thigh injury just prior to the second Championship game of the season.