"Very serious" - Millwall "positive" tipped to make difference in West Brom's play-off push | OneFootball

FLW's West Brom fan pundit has been speaking on the long-awaited return of Albion striker Daryl Dike, and the impact he could have on the season.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Bromwich Albion are battling to secure a Championship play-off place as the final weeks of the season approach and Tony Mowbray's attacking options have been boosted with the long-awaited return of Daryl Dike.

The Baggies' trip to The Den to take on Millwall ended in a 1-1 stalemate, with a 19th-minute headed goal from Jake Cooper quickly nullified by a Joe Bryan own goal on 26 minutes.

It certainly wasn't a game that people will be talking about for years to come, but it was an afternoon at The Den that a certain Dike won't forget in a hurry.

The 24-year-old striker hasn't been seen in a West Brom shirt since rupturing his Achilles in Albion's clash with Ipswich Town back in February 2024.

However, after a year on the sidelines, the American international's 13-minute cameo against Millwall signalled his return to action. So, could he be about to make up for lost time in the final quarter of the campaign?

"A great bonus" - Daryl Dike predicted to make big West Brom play-off impact

We asked our West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, whether Dike's return could see him become a difference-maker when it comes to Albion finishing in the play-offs or missing out on a place in the top-six.

Burgess said: "Daryl Dike's return from injury on Saturday was, of course, the main positive to take from Saturday afternoon at The Den.

"After so long out and having so many issues with injury spells at the Albion, if Dike could have a run to the end of the season where his game consists of minutes, and not picking up any more serious injuries, then of course, that would be fantastic.

"In his only real consistent spell of getting game time in the first few months of Carlos Corberan's spell at Albion, Dike was performing really well. He scored a few goals with a few decent finishes as well, against Middlesbrough and Cardiff City off the top of my head.

"If he could stay fit until the end of the season and having him playing alongside Adam Armstrong in a front two, even when Josh Maja returns from injury, that would be a very serious attack to choose from between those three strikers.

"He will be able to provide an aerial threat in the box with his strength as well. So, of course, he'll be a great bonus to have until the end of the season, and could very much be the difference between finishing inside or outside the play-offs."

Daryl Dike's attacking output suggests he can make a real impact in West Brom's promotion push

His injury troubles may have seen him become somewhat of a forgotten man at The Hawthorns but Dike could be set to make a memorable impact on West Brom's season in the coming weeks.

The big striker will hand Mowbray a different type of weapon to wield on opposing defences during the business end of the season, with his height, physicality and aerial presence potentially being a deadly pairing with the crossing ability of Tom Fellows and Mikey Johnston.

Dike's 0.52 goals per 90 minutes during the 2022/23 season ranked him in the top 86.7 percentile of Championship strikers that year, whilst his 3.29 shots per 90 placed him in the top 92.8 percentile, and his 5.99 touches in the opposition box per 90 had him in the top 89.2 percentile respectively - per FotMob.

Therefore, when he's been on the pitch and had the opportunity to go on an extended run of playing time, Dike has proven himself to be a quality player at second-tier level, and a centre-forward who can impact games in a positive fashion.

He could turn out to be a real ace up Mowbray's sleeve as West Brom look to cement themselves inside the play-off places over the next few weeks.