Lewis Cox brings you all the latest from Carlos Corberan's press conference ahead of a clash with Derby County.
The Baggies boss has provided updates on a number of players who could be available on Boxing Day.
And he looks ahead to the busy festive schedule.
The Baggies boss has provided updates on a number of players who could be available on Boxing Day.
And he looks ahead to the busy festive schedule.
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00:00Faggies fans, it's Christmas Eve Eve. I am at once again what feels like a bit of a second
00:06home at the moment, mostly owing to the schedule. You'll have to forgive the festive attire.
00:12It's a die-hard Christmas jumper though, obviously the best Christmas film, so you
00:16know, forgiveness please. I have seen Carlos Corbijn again just now for the pre-Derby County
00:23Boxing Day press conference, which is Thursday. Now this is a challenge for us all isn't it?
00:28So today is Monday and we last saw Carlos, I don't know, 12, 18 hours ago after the Sunday
00:36victory over Bristol City. We've seen him again just now. Poor guy is probably seeing
00:40more of us than his other half, but so will be the Christmas schedule that we all love
00:46in England. Not so much Carlos, I'm sure. We know he's not as big a fan of it. But yeah,
00:52the Albion head coach has been chatting all things, all manner of things really in this
00:56press conference ahead of the Boxing Day game, as I say, a few days away, isn't it?
01:01So plenty of stuff to come on that. I'll bring you a few snippets here. The biggest line
01:06to come and you'll be able to read it online now, exactly what Carlos had to say, but it's
01:09a boost heading to Boxing Day actually. Albion have trained this morning and actually Carlos
01:14said as a bit of a throwaway line that it's one of the best training sessions he's seen
01:17this season from his squad. So really, I think perhaps that just doubling down and drumming
01:22home on a bit of a better feel at the moment, you know, winning feel from yesterday, obviously
01:26a good, better feeling around the place at the minute than probably four to six weeks
01:31ago, maybe beyond that when there was the run of draws. Obviously, I think things bottomed
01:36out, I would say. I think the club would hope in terms of flatlining after the Preston draw
01:41actually when things went a little bit sour up at Deepdale. But yeah, the turnaround's
01:46been pretty good since then. Carlos said, you know, as I say, one of the best sessions
01:49he can remember this season. And the big throwaway, takeaway fitness update from today is that
01:56left-back Callum Styles and forward, be it wide forward or centre-forward Carlon Grant,
02:01are both well ahead of schedule and both trained this morning. Now, these are two players that
02:05were both pretty much given next to no chance of featuring at Derby. Certainly Styles, it
02:11was Bill that, you know, he was hopeful for Sunday up at Sheffield United. But no, Styles
02:15is the one actually that Corbijn basically said he's pretty much going to be around it
02:21and ready to go on Thursday at Derby on Boxing Day. So that's a real shot in the arm really
02:27and well ahead of schedule because, as I say, it was touching up for Sunday originally.
02:31So Styles is almost amongst it, you know, he's in terms of contention. I would expect
02:37that now. The players will have a day off tomorrow, Tuesday. That's basically their
02:42little Christmas break. It was recovery training today, little Christmas day off Tuesday, the
02:4624th. Not much time off on Christmas Day itself. They'll be in, a bit of work and then
02:52travelling over to Derby for the Boxing Day game, even though it's a later kick-off, isn't
02:56it? 5.30, I think. But yeah, good news on Styles. He's well trained, well and very much
03:01amongst it. Carlon Grant was Builders' half a chance, the off chance for Boxing Day. Carlos
03:07always calls him a physical machine, Grant. Say that he's, you know, with Grant, him more
03:13than anyone, he's got a chance with his mentality and physicality to make it. And Grant's also
03:19trained today in a massive, massive lift for Albion. He didn't get the impression he was
03:24as hopeful as Styles, Grant. Carlos almost name-dropped Styles as basically being ready
03:31to go amongst his defenders, left-back. But Grant, not as sort of forthright in that view
03:38on him. But look, the fact that he's trained well today, if I were a betting man, I'd say
03:43probably give him a good chance of being among the subs at the very worst at Pride Park.
03:47So again, what a lift. You're talking about Grant's availability being quicker than expected.
03:51He hurt his hamstring at Watford, didn't he, two games ago. Obviously missed out yesterday,
03:57which was a blow. But on the flip side, you know, in came John Swift and had one of his
04:00better performances of the season. Back finally came Grady Deangarna from that calf issue,
04:04really bright for the final 20 minutes. So yeah, you're all of a sudden mixing all that
04:08together. Obviously, Mikey Johnson got his, you know, match-winning salvo, his first two goals.
04:12So in that forward areas, those attacking areas, few more options and options in form as well is
04:17exactly what the head coach will desire. I'll sign off and leave this one by wishing everyone
04:21Merry Christmas. Thanks for watching. Hope you keep watching and enjoying the coverage. Obviously,
04:25we'll be at a Derby in a few days' time. Got a little bit of a little sort of stocking filler,
04:31tease a little present in form of some Corbran views and comments to come on the
04:37Expresson Star website. I think really first thing, Boxing Day. I don't think we need to
04:43trouble your social pages or your inboxes on Christmas Day. But yeah, keep your eyes peeled.
04:49Certainly around the early hours of Boxing Day morning, some update from Carlos, which to me
04:55sounded really encouraging. So yeah, I'll leave that there. But thanks for watching.
05:01Merry Christmas and boing, boing.