West Brom director of medical on Daryl Dike's "robustness" and living the emotional journey
Albion fans will remember Christmas Eve 2024 as the day head coach Carlos Corberan departed for Valencia.
But something else significant happened that day - Daryl Dike's latest return to training following injury.
More than 10 months had passed since the popular American striker was carted off in tears at Ipswich's Portman Road having ruptured his Achilles tendon in the opposite leg to the tear he endured in 2023. Dike had been on the field for 10 minutes in Suffolk.
It was tough to witness for all involved and overshadowed the 2-2 draw that day - and would have done so even if Corberan's side had held on at 2-1 in the closing stages.
It meant yet another summer of rehab but fast-forward to December 24 and it was a milestone for the Baggies frontman.
A return to action came almost two months later, one year and five days since Ipswich, at Millwall's Den. It was a heart-warming sight and the clear highlight of a poor game in the early reaches of Tony Mowbray's brief reign.
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That was mid-February but Dike had to come through another nine cameos from the bench and wait for the final day of the season, on May 3, before a memorable starting return with a goal in the chaotic 5-3 win over Luton in May.
The period in between saw the club's physical staff, including sports scientists, working on the striker's robustness in training. The appearances from the bench helped. Dike had, and still has, his own training schedule to manage his load due to the wave of long-term injuries on his CV.
