West Brom boss Ryan Mason hopeful on Josh Maja and other absentee
Albion head coach Ryan Mason remains optimistic striker Josh Maja will be ready for the Championship kick off against Blackburn.
The Baggies get under way against Rovers at The Hawthorns next Saturday and signed off their pre-season schedule with a well-deserved 3-2 victory over Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, who will play Europa Conference football this season.
An omission from boss Mason's squad against the opposition was striker Josh Maja.
Last season's 12-goal top scorer had made a return from his long injury lay-off due to a stress issue in his leg from the bench late on at Lincoln the previous weekend.
But, with seven days before the curtain-raiser, Maja was just a spectator as the Baggies secured victory in front of their supporters for the first time this summer.
Mason said: "Obviously he's had an extremely long time out.
"He's got to a good place and he just felt a little something, so hopefully it's nothing serious and he should be OK for the start of the season."
Maja is battling back from his lengthy setback, which did require surgery in January, and has trained with his colleagues this summer.