Graham Potter says he has seen what Jose Izquierdo can offer Albion when he returns to action.
The Albion head coach has revealed his winger could enjoy game time in the next fortnight or so after a long road back from a serious knee injury.
Izquierdo has not played since the latter days of Chris Hughton’s tenure and Potter has been asked at regular intervals over the last year as to how his recovery is progressing.
There now appears to be bright light at the end of the tunnel.
Potter said: “He trained again with the team (yesterday), so he’s had a good few days now.
“It’s a lot about how he reacts but I’d like to think that in the next week, two weeks, he can get on the pitch somewhere and get that game time, because that’s obviously the next stage. It’s going to be important for him.
READ MORE: The keys to Albion's magnificent win at Newcastle
“He has been injured since I’ve been here, injured the back end of the season before I arrived, so he’s a player we haven’t seen at all.
“But we see him now on the pitch, he trains, you can see his quality.
“It’s going to help him get back up to that maximum level, which as you can imagine is going to take a bit of time, thought and care.
“He has been out for so long, and he is such an explosive player.
“So we have to be careful, do right by him.
“Credit to all the guys in the medical department that have worked really well with him and credit to Jose as well. It’s not so easy to be injured the time he has.
“He’s had a smile on his face, he’s helped the team, he’s been good around the group, so I’ve got a lot of respect for him in terms of how he has handled himself this year. It would be fantastic just to see him on the pitch.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel