Express & Star

West Brom new boy Pipa is ready to go insists Carlos Corberan

Carlos Corberan has confirmed Albion’s deadline day loan recruit Pipa will be ready for action after the international break.

Published

Spanish right-back Pipa, 25, was the Baggies’ sole deadline day addition having checked in for the season from Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.

Corberan wanted to recruit a right-back, or right wing-back, capable of pushing Darnell Furlong for a starting spot and the boss revealed that after a pre-season with his parent club, Pipa is ready to be called upon.

“He had a pre-season with Ludogorets, he was playing in their competition,” said Corberan. “He has been the last 15 days without competing, but he’s been training with the group and he is ready to play.”

The head coach described Pipa, his former player at both Huddersfield and Olympiacos, as an attack-minded full-back comfortable with the ball in his feet.

Ludogorets won the Bulgarian top flight last term but Pipa, who only moved there in January, endured a difficult spell, Corberan said. “He’s an attacking full-back with more attacking skills than defensive skills,” he added. “He is comfortable in managing the ball.

“He is a player I’m looking forward to working with because I think that he still has a big gap for improvement.

“This can be a positive and a negative at the same time, but I want to work with him to cover this gap, to make from him the most competitive player he can be.

“For me, the fact that he arrived from a difficult challenge, or experience, in Ludogorets, will help us to develop him to the level that I consider we need him to have, and show.”

Pipa experienced both Europa League and Champions League football after two seasons in the Championship with Huddersfield, the first in which he made a big impression prior to injury.

He is said to have a turn of pace and a trick, which could excite The Hawthorns faithful as an attack-minded full-back. Albion have mostly used a 3-5-2 formation so far this season, with Furlong in the right wing-back role and three central defenders behind him.

“Pipa is a player I know very well because when I arrived to Huddersfield, I didn’t sign the player – Leigh Bromby was the one that decided they would sign him and I worked with him there,” Corberan said.

“He was in Olympiacos and then Olympiacos signed me so I worked with him there.

“This is the first time that I support – always knowing the financial possibilities of the club – that the club has made an incredible and massive effort to keep the squad that we have right now.

“We find in Pipa a player that will adapt to our resources, with his qualities and our possibilities.”