"They’ve got to be patient" - Carlton Palmer urges West Brom caution over Daryl Dike situation | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer believes Dike could fire the Baggies to the Premier League if he stays fit following his return from injury

Former England international and current pundit Carlton Palmer has emphasised the huge impact that Daryl Dike could have on West Brom's promotion chances, following his return to action on Saturday for the first time in over a year after suffering a serious achilles injury last February.

Powerful striker Dike has been a Baggies' player for three years now, since a 2022 move from Orlando City, but has endured a myriad of lengthy injury lay-offs in his time at the Hawthorns so far.

The USA international had impressed in the Championship on loan at Barnsley in 2020/21, so it seemed a smart move by Albion to secure his services on a permanent deal in the 2022 January window, but he suffered a hamstring injury on his debut for the club and was immediately ruled out for the rest of his maiden campaign.

He returned to action midway through his first full season at the club, and netted seven goals in 25 appearances in an impressive spell under Carlos Corberan, before soon picking up another serious injury, this time to his achilles tendon, in April 2023.

Dike recovered once again and returned to action last January, but soon suffered an injury to his other achilles tendon against Ipswich Town a month later, and left the field in tears while facing another long spell on the sidelines.

Carlton Palmer issues 'fantastic' Daryl Dike recovery verdict after West Brom return

Dike made his third long-awaited return against Millwall over the weekend, as he stepped off the bench in the 77th minute to replace Adam Armstrong in a 1-1 draw at The Den, and came through his 18 minutes of game-time unscathed with six touches of the ball, one chance created, and a yellow card earned.

The 24-year-old will likely count himself lucky that he is still able to feature at any level of professional football, given the severity of and frequency at which he has picked up long-term injuries over the last three years, but now his full focus must return to the Baggies' play-off push under Tony Mowbray.

The aforementioned Palmer, who started his career at West Brom and was born in nearby Rowley Regis, believes Dike could be the difference between West Brom finishing in the top six or missing out on the play-off spots this season, if he stays fit, but has urged both boss Mowbray and Baggies fans to stay patient with him as he builds up his match fitness once again.

“Daryl Dike returning to action for West Brom in their 1-1 draw against Millwall is fantastic news for Tony Mowbray," Palmer told FLW.

“It’s fantastic news for the supporters, and they’ll just be hoping that he can keep fit now.

“It’s just been a nightmare. It’s a nightmare for any player that goes to a football club and picks up injuries. Since his move to the Baggies in 2022, he has only made 33 appearances.

“He’s suffered so many injuries, I mean, how’s your luck? You tear one achilles tendon on one foot, and then the other achilles tendon on the other foot.

“He’s lucky that he’s young. The 15 minutes he played (against Millwall) are massive for West Brom.

“It’s good news if they can get him back, because he’s a real handful, a real handful, and he’s powerful, strong and direct.

“They can be a little bit patient too, because with Will Lankshear and Adam Armstrong joining in the recent transfer window, Mowbray has plenty of options in attack.

“There’s no pressure on Daryl Dike. They can bring him back slowly, and he could be the difference.

“He knows where the net is, and they’ve brought in someone who also knows where the net is in Armstrong. He’s a very prolific goalscorer.

“Dike gives West Brom a potent threat when he’s fit. He can play off the last man’s shoulder, he’s got pace, he’s got power.

“He could be vital in the run-in, especially in the play-offs. It’s like having a new signing, really.

“It’s massive for the club, but they’ve got to be patient with him. He could be the difference for West Bromwich Albion if he can stay fit.”

Tony Mowbray has outlined his plan for Dike as he returns to full fitness

Mowbray is an experienced operator in English football, and he will have managed plenty of players over the years that have tried to rush their respective returns from injury in the hope of getting back ahead of schedule, but then broken down as soon as they played again.

Dike has likely done that himself in the past few years with West Brom, while trying to prove that he has what it takes to succeed at the club and prove any doubters who have dubbed him a waste of money due to his injuries wrong, but now has to be different, as he cannot risk picking up a potentially career-ending problem anytime soon.

Following the 24-year-old's first appearance in over 12 months against Millwall, Baggies boss Mowbray spoke about his plans for Dike in the coming months as he builds up his fitness, while admitting that they have had some honest conversations about his future in the game due to his injury troubles.

"He's only 24, and he has to be careful, look after his career. I had to tell him how I'd feel if I chucked him in because we needed a big striker and he broke down. Thankfully, he hasn't and he's OK." Mowbray told the Express & Star in his post-match press conference on Saturday.

"I think it will be off the subs bench maybe for a month or so and when he shows he can start a game rather than doing 20 or 30 minutes, he can do 60. It'll be a bit slow, but he's just a good option for us.

"He'll bring physicality, he'll bring desire. If anything, he's been too anxious to play in the first team since I've been here.

"I've been trying to calm him down, saying with respect it's about our first team winning matches and he has to contribute, not minutes, to get his fitness levels. He understands that now, how my mind works.

"I saw him play for the under-21s, he put himself about, his sheer physicality creates problems for defenders. Apparently, he's on seven per cent body fat, but he's on 100kg, he's sheer muscle.

"In some games recently, we've had lots of ball around the box, dominated, but I think the players haven't put the ball in the box enough because we haven't had enough physical presence in the box or seen anyone who is going to head one in or make defenders uncomfortable.

"We've had 65 per cent possession in games and not enough shots and I think that's because we've not put the ball in the box because there aren't enough targets to hit. He will become a central figure to aim at."

Regardless of past troubles, if he can remain fit from now until the end of the season, then Dike's return will be a very welcome one for West Brom as they chase a top-six finish for the chance to return to the Premier League after four years away.

All parties involved, such as Dike and Mowbray, as well as the fitness coaches and club doctors, will be very aware of how he has picked up injuries in the past so soon after returning from a previous issue, so his minutes have to be managed very carefully, but he also must be called upon at the right times if the Baggies need a goal in a crucial moment in their play-off bid.