West Brom can have Daryl Dike excitement given events of 2024 | OneFootball

The striker is edging closer to a return to action for the Baggies

It has does feel as though it has been an encouraging start to the Championship season for West Bromwich Albion.

Having missed out promotion after defeat in the play-off semi-finals last season, the Baggies are lookng like they could make another push for the Premier League this time round.

Carlos Corberan's side have taken 19 points from their 11 league games since the start of the campaign, meaning they currently sit fourth in the second-tier standings.

That will give West Brom fans confidence that they have a foundation they can build on going forward over the rest of the season.

Indeed, it does seem as though there is even more reason for those of a Baggies persuasion to be excited, given the latest updates on Daryl Dike.

Striker closing in on long-awaited return from injury

Since making the move to The Hawthorns back in the 2022 January transfer window, Dike has been blighted by injuries.

The striker has already had two long spells on the sidelines for fitness reasons, and he has not featured since February this year due to a leg injury.

As a result, West Brom have yet to really fully benefit from the goalscoring abilities he previously showed he possessed in the Championship, during a loan spell with Barnsley.

However, that could potentially soon change, with Corberan revealing that Dike is in line to return to first-team training this week, after working with the Under 21s.

From there, the American is expected to feature in matches for the Under 21s, before he is integrated back into the first-team.

After so long out with another injury, there may be some questions about whether he will be able to make an impact for West Brom, particularly immediately after his return.

Even so, looking at how things have played out for other individuals at The Hawthorns in recent months, there is an argument the Baggies can be confident in helping him make a positive return.

West Brom have had success with other returning players

Dike will of course, not be the first player that Corberan has had to reintroduce to his side after a long spell out this year.

Prior to the start of this season, Josh Maja had himself been forced to spend a long spell out of action with injury.

Fitness issues had limited the centre-forward to just 12 league appearances - and one start - last season, with only three outing coming in the second-half of the campaign.

However, the 25-year-old has been an ever-present in the Championship for West Brom this season, and that has paid off, with seven goals in those 11 games so far.

Meanwhile, others who have previously been loaned out after struggling to settle at The Hawthorns

have also returned to become integral under Corberan in recent times.

Alex Mowatt spent the 2022/23 campaign on-loan at Middlesbrough, but since returning in the summer of 2023, has featured in all but three of West Brom's league games.

Indeed, those efforts even saw him handed a new contract by the club this summer, and his performances at the start of this season suggest that decision was the right one.

Karlan Grant is another one who has enjoyed a similar renaissance in his West Brom career during the current campaign.

The attacker spent last season on-loan at Cardiff City, having also fallen out of favour at The Hawthorns.

Following his return to the Baggies in the summer though, he has been reintroduced to the first-team, where he has now become a vital figure.

Grant has featured in every league game West Brom have played this season, starting in all but one of those.

It is worth noting that his efforts have even kept Mikey Johnston out of the starting XI, who was so sought after on a permanent deal in the summer, after excelling on loan from Celtic last season.

As a result, the Baggies should know that they have a squad and manager, who know how to bring a player back into the side, even after a long spell on the sidelines.

With that in mind, West Brom should still have reason to be confident about what is to come from Dike, once he is back fit and available.