Josh Maja fitness latest as West Brom's plan for frontman outlined

Striker Maja has stepped up his rehabilitation with some team training in the two weeks since Albion's players returned from their pre-season breaks.

The summer featured an intense fitness programme for Maja designed by the club's medical and sports science staff, who are under the umbrella of club director of medical Tony Strudwick.

Maja, 26, finished last season as 12-goal top scorer despite not playing after January 4. He suffered a stress response to the lower leg which required surgery and, once play-offs were out of the question towards the end of last season, a schedule for the new campaign was drawn up.

"It's integration. We're at a really good point now," Strudwick said. "Josh has been working alongside the sports science and medical department in the off-season and now he's started to be integrated.

"We've still got four weeks to go (until the season starts). We're duty bound to manage the players, Ryan (Mason) and the staff have been really supportive.

"They're back, we're really happy and the players are really positive."

Maja has been partaking in some full sessions with colleagues in Burgenland, Austria, at the club's training camp. He featured on Tuesday and was given Wednesday's double-session off, along with Daryl Dike and Kyle Bartley, to best aid his condition.

"We work to a plan and it was generated at the back end of last year and went well into the off-season," Strudwick explained. "It was a joint-effort with the medical and sports science department with Josh, and he worked right through to give himself a chance to reintegrate with the squad now.

"Clearly when someone's been out for a period it's not just about throwing them back in. It's been really joined-up with where we feel Josh is at, it's been a steady progression. You don't go from X to Y quickly.

"We're really happy how it's planned out. It's an intense period of pre-season with double sessions and if one or two still have to follow a plan of modified training or reintegration then that's what we have to do."

Former Sunderland, Fulham and Bordeaux striker Maja's two seasons at The Hawthorns have been marred by injury. He endured two ankle setbacks as results of poor challenges in 2023/24 before last season's leg issue.