Carlos Corberan addresses Semi Ajayi 'hostage' drama as West Brom star prepares for return
Semi Ajayi has been a key component of West Brom's defensive structure this season alongside central defensive partner Kyle Bartley
Semi Ajayi is set to return to West Brom tomorrow (Thursday) after a bizarre intentional break with Nigeria and should be available to play this weekend.
Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi claimed the Nigeria squad was being kept hostage in Libya after their flight before the AFCON qualifier was grounded in airport four hours from its destination.
Ajayi has been a key component of Albion’s defensive structure this season alongside central defensive partner Kyle Bartley after the departure of Cedric Kipre and would be a big miss. If he is not ready it could give a chance to Everton loanee Mason Holgate who has not yet featured.
But, speaking at this afternoon’s pre match Oxford press conference, Corberan confirmed Ajayi should be in contention to start Saturday lunchtime’s game.
He told us: “The club was in contact. It was not easy, we have to adapt to the situation. It is true that he didn’t have the minutes that normally he usually is getting when travelling but at the same time he was having minutes before he went.
“It has been a strange situation but something that is totally out of our control. What we can do is to adapt and find the best way to help him to recover and make him ready for the game. That is what we can control.
“I think it is enough, Thursday and Friday, because it is not the first time I have done this with the players. It’s different preparation. You would like to have the players always during the week but when they go with their national team always they have these challenges and we need to adapt to them.
“There is a reason why the players go with their national team because they are good players in their country and this is an important thing too. Paddy for example has played two 90 minutes for his country and for me this is an amazing thing for us. Because for us he was not playing so for me it is more positive, the game time. Semi didn’t play but he was playing minutes in a row (for us) so probably this small rest is not going to be negative for him.”
As for the rest of the team news and how other players have fared, Corberan added: “In general the players that weren’t involved with their national teams have came back from the break that we gave to them with a lot of desire to work. Always this is positive.
“We have received right now only three players from their national teams Torbjørn Heggem, Mikey Johnston and Jayson Molumby because they finished their games Sunday. Thursday we will start to work with Semi Ajayi and Paddy McNair and Mason Holgate.”
Albion will be to looking to return to winning ways after three games without a victory. They started the season solidly but in recent weeks have lost both away to Sheffield Wednesday and home to Middlesbrough and drawn 0 0 at the Hawthorns with Millwall.