Carlos Corberan believes Daniel Ballard’s injury to Josh Maja was “unfair” during West Brom’s defeat to Sunderland on Saturday.
Maja was substituted after 36 minutes due to a challenge from Ballard, who was booked for a scissor-action tackle on the Baggies striker.
Corberan was more worried with his own player’s injuries after the game than with the punishment for the Sunderland defense.
“I don’t even want to look because, with the Maja situation, it’s something unfair for him,” Corberan told Birmingham Live on Saturday (9 December). “We signed him without a pre-season, and he gradually worked his way into the team.”
“With this foul, he was out for eight weeks.” We healed him to be ready with the team in the last three weeks, and the first time he was put in the first XI – because [Brandon Thomas] Asante couldn’t play more than 30 minutes under medical advise – he had another injury, in the same ankle, after a foul.
“The evaluation of the foul is something that depends on the referee and not me.”
A rough ride
Ballard may not have played the whole 90 minutes for Sunderland on another day, with a different referee. Instead, he was able to deputize throughout West Brom’s 2-1 defeat on Saturday, scoring the game’s first goal.
Because it was his first foul of the game, referee Darren Bond was lenient with the yellow card, but Maja was in a lot of pain and had to leave the field.
Despite not being completely involved in the game, the 24-year-old was doing everything he could to make his impact.
Maja was proving to be a good replacement for Brandon Thomas-Asante, who was only fit enough to reach the bench, by unleashing a shot after 10 minutes, enjoying an 86% pass success rate, and winning 100% of the ground duels he participated (2/2).
Since joining the Baggies from Bordeaux last summer, the Nigerian has only scored once in eight outings. As a former Black Cats forward, a goal against Sunderland would have boosted his confidence, but it was not to be.
Despite stints with Sunderland, Fulham, and Stoke City, Maja has yet to settle in England. And the injury sustained as a result of Ballard’s challenge is just another blow in the young striker’s West Brom career.
Leave a Reply