It’s another nice mess for Ollie...
OLIVER Burke missed the draw at Leicester after aggravating a persistent hamstring problem, Albion head coach Tony Pulis has confirmed.
Burke was expected to make the matchday squad for Monday’s trip to the King Power Stadium after playing twice for Scotland Under21s during the recent round of internationals.
But the 20-year-old, a £15 million signing from RB Leipzig over the summer, was forced to pull out.
“He’s done his hamstring, which is really disappointing,” Pulis said. “He played for Scotland and did really well.
“He would have been a great player to have on the bench, especially when it got really stretched, because his pace is frightening and he wants to run in behind.
“He’s been disappointing in respect of his injury, not his personality, he wants to play.
“It’s unfortunate the kid’s tweaked his hamstring and we can’t get it right at the moment.”
Burke has only played 35 minutes of first-team football across two substitute appearances since signing for Albion in August.
After making his debut against Stoke, the young winger offered a glimpse of his huge potential in the defeat at Brighton.
He set up James Morrison’s consolation goal and was integral to the Baggies’ late fightback. But a hamstring strain kept him out of the next four matches. It’s not yet clear just how long Burke will be sidelined by this latest injury.
Albion target Benik Afobe is not for sale, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has insisted after continued speculation over his future.
Afobe, who signed for the Cherries from Wolves in a £10 million deal in January 2016, has been linked with Albion and his former Molineux club since the closure of the transfer window and hasn’t started a Premier League game since August.
Howe signed Jermain Defoe in the summer and already has Josh King and the returning Callum Wilson as his options.
But he insisted the striker still has a vital role to play. “I don’t know how many appearances Benik has this season but he has been involved in most games,” he said. “He is a huge part of our plans.”
Albion are likely to continue their search for another striker in January, and Watford’s Troy Deeney has been linked once again.