WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 24: Cedric Kipre of West Bromwich Albion applauds the West Bromwich Albion fans as he forced of injured during the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion and Queens Park Rangers at The Hawthorns on October 24, 2023 in West Bromwich, United Kingdom. (Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)
Fears about Cedric Kipre’s potential long-term injury have subsided for Albion, as scan results showed the defender did not sustain any serious injuries.
After injuring his knee late in the Baggies’ 2-0 midweek victory over Queens Park Rangers, the Ivorian hobbled off, and head coach Carlos Corberan later said he feared a months-long absence.
Nonetheless, the 26-year-old, a pillar of Corberan’s backline and a standout performer this term, worked with medical personnel today and will train this weekend to see if he can play in the team’s trip to Coventry City on Monday night. Conor Townsend, a left-sided defender who was injured against QPR, is also back available to the head coach.
Unfortunately, there was unfavorable news regarding Kipre’s central defensive partner Semi Ajayi, who is almost definitely going to miss the game at the CBS Arena due to damage to his ankle ligament; no precise timeline for his absence has been provided.
“We know we are in one period where the competition is a challenge because we are losing so many of the players,” Corberan said to the media during the press conference on Friday afternoon. Thankfully, Kipre’s injury from the previous game turned out to be a good thing. Although it appeared to be a serious injury, the scan revealed that Kipre was more uncomfortable than anything else.
“The initial observation looked like a serious injury but the scan brought us some calm and let’s see, there is no injury and only pain, it can be just irritation, it depends on how Kipre is feeling in the next days, so we have chances for him to play, which is very positive news.”
Corberan emphasized the significance of Kipre to his team. Kipre was on loan at Cardiff for the previous season. The defender worked with medical personnel on Friday after undergoing recovery sessions in the pool yesterday.
We never want to lose any players, and Cedric has, in my opinion, played more minutes with the squad because he is a player who can significantly impact our on-field goals.
“Of course, I was sad after the game being honest, I don’t like to lose any of our players, especially in an action where there is nothing you can do to avoid the action,” Corberan stated. “But even though we don’t know if he will arrive on Monday, we got the scan results last night, and they were positive.
“The fact that the player appears to be experiencing only knee ligament irritation rather than an injury is encouraging because these kinds of injuries can occur anywhere from six weeks to three months to six months, so you never know.” We were unable to be optimistic after the initial assessment due to the pain. He can try training tomorrow if the response is satisfactory.
Regarding Ajayi, the head coach continued, saying, “It’s crucial to avoid losing any more players, but Semi continues to have injuries, and other players are still dealing with those as well. Due to illness, Conor Townsend has rejoined the group. Kipre will be with the group for the next week, so that is good news, though I’m not sure if he will be ready.
It is a challenge, and I find myself in a similar situation with this (a “miracle” for Ajayi to be ready). He has grade two ligament damage (an injury of a different kind) in his ankle, so we’ll need to monitor his progress. Despite his best efforts, he remains a significant question mark.”
