Kyle Bartley makes bold West Brom claim and explains why certain Albion player is key to any Premier League promotion push

Ryan Mason's side were hit with a late hammer blow as the Foxes equalised deep into second half stoppage time - to deny Albion all three points.

However, it should not have come to that with the Baggies having spurned a host of clear cut chances in the second half with the biggest one falling to the returning Maja.

The striker, who finished as Albion's top goalscorer last season despite being out of action for the second half of the campaign - has been working his way up to full fitness this summer following a calf injury.

His cameos from the bench have been getting longer - and his 20 minute display on Friday saw him handed the perfect chance to get back on the scoresheet.

However, Maja couldn't convert a follow up to a Jed Wallace free kick from just a handful of yards out.

There have been calls for Maja to be starting games - despite the form of Albion's £4.7m summer signing Aune Heggebo.

And one of the latest voices has been from former captain Kyle Bartley - who has made a bold claim about what Maja could deliver for Albion this season.

Speaking as a guest on the BBC WM's Football Phone In - Bartley believes that if Albion can get Maja back in the team and firing - it could potentially yield a play-off spot, or even automatic promotion.

He said: "I think my only concern will be the lack of goals.

"Having played with Josh Maja, I know he missed a chance to make it 2-0, but he is the key to Albion's season.

"Get Josh back in the team and scoring goals and he could be the one to push them into the play-offs, possibly the automatic positions.

"All teams that were promoted in the last few seasons have strikers that get then 20 to 25 goals and for me that is the key.

"I think it is an open season, here are no standout teams in my opinion.

"The defence is really strong, if they can add a few more goals and get Josh that sharpness and confidence back with him and Heggebo up top, then I think the world is our oyster."

Bartley turned out for pre-season training under new Albion boss Ryan Mason this year - but following on from a difficult year injury wise that had seen him come back from a knee operation - he decided to call time on his career before the new campaign.

However, he had spent a number of weeks working under Mason and also gave a bit of an insight into what the new head coach has brought to Albion.

"I worked with Ryan for the first couple of months," said Bartley.

"He is a great manager, a great guy, the whole squad respects him, his ideas are fantastic and there is no ceiling being put on this team."