'Only two strikers who are really fit' - Ryan Mason's view on West Brom frontline after Maja call
Ryan Mason admitted Albion are still working to build up Josh Maja's fitness and readiness for regular football.
Striker Maja, last season's 12-goal top scorer whose second half of the campaign was wrecked by injury, has struggled to find his way up to speed so far this term.
He finally returned to bag the winner in the 1-0 success at Norwich on October 1 and also started at home to Preston two Saturdays ago.
But Maja did not start in defeats at Watford and Ipswich last week and was only introduced as a late change in the latter - something Albion head coach Mason said was tactical - as Aune Heggebo led the line on both occasions.
"No, I just felt like how the game was going," Mason said when asked about Maja's late introduction at Portman Road.
"To be honest, like I say, from 50 minutes to 65 or 70, I felt like we were in control.
"We didn't really concede a great deal and we had a lot of the ball, but we didn't create enough from a final third point of view. That's always the balance.
"We've only got two strikers in the squad currently that are really fit.
"Josh is someone that is still building up. He's played two 60 minutes in ten-and-a-half-months. There's that side of it as well, but we've got a full week to train, a full week to prepare now.
"We've got a home game and we need to make our home form count."
With Maja's struggle to be ready to start regularly there has been extra responsibility placed on the shoulders of £4.7million summer recruit Aune Heggebo, who has so far scored twice - once in the league.
Albion's other natural centre-forward option is Daryl Dike, who only returned from his latest injury nightmare with cameos at Watford and Ipswich.
The Baggies welcome basement boys Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship on Saturday lunchtime.
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