Ryan Mason opens up on immediate West Brom player plan - it involves Daryl Dike | OneFootball

The Baggies boss is considering giving Tammer Bany and Daryl Dike minutes for the U21’s to improve their match sharpness.

West Brom boss Ryan Mason has outlined his plans for the returning Tammer Bany and Daryl Dike, which could see them get action for the U21’s before coming back into the first-team picture.

The pair have both been missing since the beginning of August after suffering hamstring and thigh injuries, respectively, before the start of the season, with the duo returning to training at the end of last month.

After originally being penciled in to return during the September international break, it has instead taken them all the way up to the end of the October lay-off to be considered for second-tier selection.

It is a critical time for both players as they gear up to be available once again. Dike has had a barrage of long-term injuries that has scuppered his plans to be a regular in the Albion fold, and with his contract due to expire next summer, you feel he has to go for the remainder of the term fit and firing.

Meanwhile, Bany has only made four Championship appearances since signing for the club last January, with himself blighted by injury troubles, and he is a player who supporters will be praying can stay fit and show them what he can offer in the blue and white stripes.

Bany and Dike’s returns could prove to be mammoth ones in the context of Albion’s promotion push under Mason, and the ex-Tottenham Hotspur coach has revealed the plan he is thinking of to get them fully prepared for their return into the rough and tumble of the Championship.

Ryan Mason outlines West Brom plan for Tammer Bany and Daryl Dike

As per a report by the Express & Star’s Matt Maher, West Brom boss Ryan Mason is considering handing Tammer Bany and Daryl Dike minutes for the U21's side to build up their match sharpness, as Albion’s youth outfit host Exeter City in the Premier League Cup today.

Asked if the pair would feature for the U21’s, Mason said: "We'll see what's best for them, whether that's training with a group or whether that's game time.

"They've not just had a long time out recently. You look at their history since they've been at the club. They've had a long time out.

"We need to respect that because we're going to need them, certainly. I think you've seen with Josh (Maja). Josh has obviously had a very, very long time out as well.

"We need these players. We've not got a big squad. We need to try and keep everyone available or get as many people available as possible. We'll decide what's best for all the injured players."

Tammer Bany and Daryl Dike returns are welcomed boosts to thin West Brom squad

This news will come as a welcomed relief for Albion fans, who will be hoping that the additions in attack can help ease their woes in the final third.

The Baggies have scored only nine goals so far this season, with 23rd-placed Sheffield Wednesday netting just one fewer, highlighting the struggles they’ve faced to put away their chances.

Daryl Dike has proven that when fit in an Albion shirt, he can score regularly at this level, but his problem has been maintaining his fitness on a consistent basis, something that has deeply frustrated those connected to West Brom over the near four years he’s been at the club.

Meanwhile, Bany is another figure who has struggled to stay on the pitch consistently, with an impressive cameo last season off the bench at Bristol City, the most that supporters have seen of him so far.

If he can keep himself fit and ready to contribute, then his return could see Isaac Price return to his best in the number 10 position, with the Northern Ireland international going off the boil recently after playing every game this term for both club and country.

With a thin squad, Albion need the luxury of rotation in their ranks for such relentless upcoming scheduling, but it may take a while for them to stamp their authority back on the playing squad after the care shown to Josh Maja following his return at the beginning of the campaign from lower leg surgery.