West Brom’s international call-ups could end up hindering promotion chances: View | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion will be hoping to cement their place in the top six after the current international break.

The Baggies have headed into the domestic pause with an eight-point cushion over seventh placed Hull City but will also look to secure fifth spot over Norwich City, with Albion leading the Canaries by five points.

Ever since the last international break back in November last year, West Brom have collected 12 victories from their last 22 league outings, keeping themselves firmly in the mix to return to the Premier League at the third time of asking.

Many Albion players have been in sensational form under Corberan recently and continue to contribute to a promotion push at the Hawthorns.

This has meant many of the senior figures have earned call-ups to their respective international sides, and the Baggies will be praying those players return unscathed, otherwise their promotion chances could be on the line.

Five West Brom senior players have been called up to represent their countries during the latest international pause, with Albion’s forward line taking a particular shine to different nations.

Mikey Johnston’s sensational form in a blue and white shirt since arriving on loan from Celtic in January has seen the 24-year-old recalled for the Republic of Ireland while fellow January arrival Andreas Weimann could feature for Austria for the first time since 2022.

Youngster Tom Fellows has been a nuisance to Championship defenders on the right wing and has earned his first England call-up into the U20’s group.

continues to be picked for Nigeria while Callum Marshall teams up with Johnston after being called up by Republic of Ireland boss John O’Shea.

The impact those players have had at West Brom

As mentioned, some of the West Brom players deserve their opportunity on the international stage after putting in consistently impressive performances under Corberan in the second tier.

Johnston has had an impact no Albion fan could have expected, netting six goals and one assist from his opening 10 Championship games for the club, including a brace on their most recent away trip to Huddersfield Town.

Weimann hasn’t managed to nail down a regular starting spot for the Baggies, but his immense versatility to lead the line or go out wide has made him a solid option to bring off the substitute bench when the games become stretched. The Austrian’s dogged work on the right flank to tee up Johnston at Huddersfield was a catalyst for their comeback in West Yorkshire.

Fellows is having a breakthrough season after coming through the youth academy in the Black Country, forcing Jed Wallace to play centrally at certain points after continuing to impress on the right wing.

After gaining significant minutes since the beginning of the new year, the wideman has registered four goals and three assists in that time, most recently getting on the scoresheet last weekend against Bristol City.

The two-week break is sure to feel like an age to all connected with West Brom, with any injuries to the forward-thinking players having the potential to undo all the hard work put in during the course of the season so far.

With only eight games to go in the regular campaign, any issue for a short period of time could be fatal and would leave Corberan struggling for options once again as some important fixtures approach.

The January transfer window was a key time for Albion improving their attack, and the additions of Johnston, Fellows and Weimann in particular have made the side so much more free-flowing, with goals spreading around the team in recent weeks.

West Brom have been desperately unlucky on the injury front this term to their attackers, and a loss to one of these prominent figures could significantly reduce the teams’ impact in front of goal, making it an uncomfortable ending to see if they can squeak into the play-offs.

If everyone can come through this period injury-free, then Albion will have the opportunity to comfortably place themselves inside the top six and have the best possible chance of returning to the top flight.