West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has claimed that a “very special” Baggies player could return to the fold for this weekend’s showdown with Oxford United.

West Brom need to bounce back at Oxford

The Baggies were flying early in the season, topping the Championship table and looking like the team to beat in the automatic promotion battle. Corberan could do no wrong and an exciting campaign lay ahead. Things have unravelled from nowhere for West Brom, however, having failed to win any of their last three matches, starting with the shock 3-2 defeat away at Sheffield Wednesday last month, in which they came from 2-0 down but threw away a point at Hillsborough.

The 1-0 loss at home to Middlesbrough that followed was also hugely disappointing, before a drab 0-0 draw with Millwall at the Hawthorns, prior to international football getting in the way.

This two-week break has arguably come at a good time for West Brom, allowing Corberan and his players to regroup, and on Saturday lunchtime they make the trip to an Oxford side sitting 10th in the league – six places and five points behind the Baggies.

“Very special” West Brom ace “ready” for Oxford

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Oxford [via The Express & Star], Corberan confirmed that Mikey Johnston is “ready” to feature for West Brom, having got back to his sharpest over a slow pre-season and an eye issue.

“Personally now I see him more ready. His pre season was very strange. He was probably in a place where you know that you are not going to stay (Celtic) so you have been doing the pre season waiting for movement. The movement arrived in the last moment of the market. He had a problem with contact (a fractured eye socket) that stopped him to play.”

West Brom supporters will be buoyed by this update, considering what an effective player Johnston is, providing quality and unpredictability in wide areas. The 25-year-old bagged seven goals and registered two assists in the Championship last season, while Corberan has made it very clear how highly he rates him.

“Johnston is one player who is very special for us because he has the skill to help the team in building attacks and the skill to help in finishing of attacks. His goal contribution has been excellent so far and that’s why he will keep growing and have an important career because he is using the loan well.”

Johnstone is going to be a hugely important player for West Brom in the promotion race this season, having been on loan last term before joining permanently in the summer, with his winning mentality highlighted by six Scottish Premiership titles during his time at Celtic, as well as four Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups.

While still only 25, the Scot is a hugely experienced figure who could pop up at key moments, so seeing him back at Oxford on Saturday would be a massive shot in the arm.