Confirmed: West Brom handed big triple boost ahead of Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

Ryan Mason has spoken about the availability of Josh Maja, Ousmane Diakite and Torbjorn Heggem ahead of their opening game against Blackburn.

West Brom boss Ryan Mason has confirmed all of Josh Maja, Ousmane Diakite and Torbjorn Heggem will be available for their opening weekend clash with Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies enter the 2025-26 season looking to go one step further and be in contention for promotion to the Premier League, with Mason set to occupy the dugout for the first time as a professional manager.

Leading up to the clash, there were concerns some Albion first-team figures wouldn’t be available for Saturday afternoon.

Maja has been slowly reintegrated into the squad after recently returning from a leg injury that he sustained and required surgery on in Janaury, but he did not feature in their final pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano last weekend.

Diakite has been struggling with an ankle problem while Heggem has been touted for a move to Serie A outfit Bologna, with discussions expected to resume over a deal for the towering Norwegian.

However, in his pre-match press conference, Mason spoke about the availability of his players, with Albion fans surely pleased that they are close to full strength to try and start the new campaign in a positive fashion.

As per a report by the Express & Star, Ryan Mason confirmed the trio of Josh Maja, Ousmane Diakite and Torbjorn Heggem are all fit and available for when they take on Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns tomorrow afternoon.

When asked about Maja’s fitness, Mason said: "I think I mentioned it a week ago that he's had a hell of a long time out, and we have to get it right with him.

"We value him, and we know what he can bring to the table in terms of when he's fit, but also understanding it's a really long season, it's intense, it's relentless, and we want to make sure that when he's on the pitch, he stays on the pitch.

"He trained today so he's available for selection along with plenty of other players, so we'll assess that after this, and we'll see going into tomorrow."

On Heggem, Mason added: "Heggy played last weekend, and he's available for selection this weekend.

"Like I say, this time of year there's obviously lots of talk and speculation about many players at many different clubs, but we're preparing for the game tomorrow with the squad we've got, and hopefully we can get a positive result.

"I think, naturally, for every club, once the season starts and the window is still open, there's always question marks. But we're happy with what we've got going into the game tomorrow, and hopefully we'll put in a performance that can warrant getting a win."

West Brom have a better chance of a positive start to the season with Maja, Diakite and Heggem in the side

There’s no doubt that Mason’s update will be a relief to West Brom fans, who would have been concerned about a lack of depth and quality in the squad heading into the opening weekend’s clash.

But with Maja fit and available, he can hopefully replicate what he did for West Brom at the beginning of last season, while Aune Heggebo will look to make a positive impression on his Albion debut.

Ousmane Diakite also bolsters Mason's options, with the Malian midfielder set to play a key role under the Baggies boss this term.

Meanwhile, Heggem will don the blue and white stripes again, likely to partner Nat Phillips, with that partnership looking to keep out the Rovers attack.