Bruce may see young keeper as a wildcard
WEST Brom are back for pre-season testing today, Thursday, as they begin planning their assault on the Championship.
The Baggies then head to Portugal on Sunday before returning at the beginning of next month to tackle their friendly fixture list.
Sam Johnstone has now left the club and signing a new goalkeeper is not being considered at this stage with David Button and Alex Palmer set to battle it out.
Button, the more experienced of the two, ended last season as the club’s number one and is favourite to start the new season. Palmer, who played almost 100 matches for Plymouth and then Lincoln in successful loan spells between 2019 and 2021, will likely deputise.
The wildcard is Josh Griffiths. Big things are expected of the 20-year-old, who was called up to the England Under-21s as part of their European Championships squad last year. He, like Palmer, has spent two seasons on loan in the lower reaches of the EFL.
Griffiths is five years Palmer’s junior and, for that reason, a third loan – another in League One most likely – would make sense on paper.
However, it is not beyond the realms of possibility he could yet force his way into manager Steve Bruce’s thinking if he were to enjoy an eye-catching pre-season campaign, working alongside Button, Palmer and goalkeeping coaches Gary Walsh and Boaz Myhill.
Portsmouth are reported to be keen to take Griffiths on loan while Blackpool could be a potential destination now that Michael Appleton, who took Griffiths to Lincoln last term, has been installed.
While there is no immediate rush, and loan offers expected, he will be welcomed back to the training ground with a slim chance of forcing his way into the first-team reckoning.