Carlos Corberan explains TGH & Tom Rogic absence and why he took Okay Yokuslu off
West Brom pair Tom Rogic and Taylor Gardner-Hickman were two players who weren't to be seen in Albion's squad for their Coventry win
Tom Rogic and Taylor Gardner-Hickman were simply victims of West Bromwich Albion's new additions being introduced to the match-day squad, Carlos Corberan admitted after watching his side earn their way to all three points against Coventry City on Friday evening.
When the team was released at 7pm, the most obvious alteration, and omission, was in goal, where David Button had replaced the injured Alex Palmer - he is set to miss at least the next six weeks of Albion's season after suffering an ankle and knee injury in training on Thursday.
Nathaniel Chalobah and Marc Albrighton were both, as Corberan had confirmed the day before, involved in different capacities; the former found himself on the bench and was introduced in the second half, while the latter started the game before being withdrawn later in the game - having caught the eye with a first half showing which oozed class.
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While Jake Livermore can be forgiven for having grown used to the changing of the midfield guard, and with it not regular place in the match-day squad in the last few months, Gardner-Hickman and Rogic have for the most part been involved pretty much for the duration of Corberan's reign so far, but they missed out to the likes of Adam Reach, Karlan Grant and John Swift for a place in the 18 here.
There was nothing sinister about either absence, Corberan reiterated post-match - it was simply a case of selection and, with Jed Wallace starting the game in the hole behind Daryl Dike, there was only room in his squad for one natural number ten - and he, on this occasion, opted for Swift, who also impressed during his cameo.
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"Unfortunately I cannot involve them all. It's a rule I don't understand. In the Premier League you can name eight [outfield players] and make five subs," Corberan bemoaned. "We can make five subs, but we can only involve six [outfield] players. Every week I have to make unfair decisions. It's part of my job to do it.
"When you decide to play with Wallace as a number ten, it doesn't make sense to have two number tens on the bench. I then had to make a decision between Swift and Rogic. It is the right decision for one player, but it is the wrong decision for the other, it's unfair Rogic and it would've been unfair for Swift too.
"At the end it's my job to make decisions and digest the feeling that, in the end, is not the most comfortable thing to do."
Okay Yokuslu was also withdrawn in the second half, which hasn't been a common occurrence in the time that Corberan has spent at the helm. The Turkish international has arguably been the pick of the entire squad since the change at management level but there were signs of tiredness in the first half.
Initially there were concerns when Yokuslu went to ground with nobody around him and he was treated by the club's medical staff, but he immediately returned to action. After one or two tired looking challenges in the second half, though, Corberan decided to give him a breather and introduce debutant Chalobah.
"He had fatigue," Corberan confirmed. "The game was very demanding and I think the number of games he has played since I have been here is so high. Sometimes the player cannot complete 90 minutes in a row at his normal level. He has been playing very well. Having Chalobah is a good change for us to make."
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