Carlos Corberan reveals January transfer decision on Martin Kelly as injury recovery continues
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has revealed that he will sit down with Martin Kelly towards the January transfer window to decide whether he will go out on loan or remain at the club as he steps up his injury recovery.
The 33-year-old suffered a serious knee injury on loan at Wigan last January and has since returned to the Hawthorns to undergo his rehabilitation.
Kelly only played seven times for the club and just featured in two games under Corberan before his loan move and has not made a matchday squad so far this term but as the Spaniard reveals, he is currently stepping up his recovery.
Kelly’s role in the first-team squad in future is uncertain and Corberan indicated that all parties will sit down again in January and see if there is any possibility for another loan spell elsewhere.
Speaking to Birmingham Live (23 September), he said:
“Sometimes a player needs minutes to recover his level, especially at this age. That’s why we decided to loan him and to follow this process, and to see how he was for this season. Unfortunately, in the first game for Wigan, he was injured.
“It has made it difficult to achieve this process.
“Now he is making his recovery. Friday, for example, is the first day he is going to work with one of our technical members of staff, so we are helping him in this process of recovery.
“We need to analyse when is the right moment, and to see what is the best decision for him to loan, or to keep. That’s something that, for now, I cannot tell you because it’s September.”
First-team chances unlikely
When looking at Kelly, many would think the 33-year-old has been at The Hawthorns for most of the latter part of his career but he only joined in September last year and has only featured in five league games since.
The full-back was brought in to provide experience and much-needed cover but it simply hasn’t worked out due to his lack of minutes before being shipped out on loan to Wigan Athletic in January.
It was on his debut that he suffered the injury which brought him back to the West Midlands to kick off his rehabilitation and recovery and Corberan’s latest comments certainly point to him not having a role in the Baggies first team.
With a return date set for over the next few months, it remains unlikely Kelly will feature for the club before the January transfer window comes around and it may be best for all parties that they part ways in the winter as Corberan continues to shape this squad in his image.
The injuries the Spaniard has suffered over the last few months simply have not helped his cause and have probably set him back in his aspirations to lead West Brom into the Premier League promised land.
Whether the Baggies will achieve that goal this season remains uncertain but to boost those chances, they need more options in the market in January and that will only happen if they can shift the deadwood. Kelly looks to be at the top of that unwanted list.
In other West Brom news, Corberan now faces an untimely crisis at The Hawthorns after a recent development.
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