Steve Bruce pleased as Kean Bryan continues his West Brom recovery
Steve Bruce has revealed Albion’s long-term injury victim Kean Bryan has made ‘slow progress’ in his return to action.
The defender injured his anterior cruciate ligament during his first start for the club last November, a couple of months after arriving at The Hawthorns as a free agent.
Bryan has stepped up his rehabilitation and is now working on the grass at the club’s training base in Walsall.
Bruce was at pains to add any pressure to Bryan’s comeback by placing a timescale on his return, but the boss is encouraged by the former Manchester City youngster’s recent progress.
“He’s making progress, slow at that,” Bruce explained. “You can’t put timescales on it, when you’ve ruptured your cruciate ligament. I’ve seen him on the grass and he looks far, far better than he was a month ago. Let’s see where he is in another month.
“For the sake of the lad I don’t want to put any timescale on it because I don’t want to put him under any pressure.
“He’s doing everything he can, he’s working hard, it’s one of those when you wake up one morning and your knee is your knee again.
“When you’ve had a serious leg injury, it’s amazing what happens. He’s trying like a beast to get back. We wish him the best of luck.”
Bryan checked into the club this time last year as extra cover when Dara O’Shea fractured his ankle and sustained ligament damage while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.
Albion, meanwhile, are keen to work new recruit Martin Kelly up to fitness as soon as possible for vital defensive cover.
Versatile defender Kelly, 32, was Bruce’s sole deadline day signing last week after loan moves for midfield pair Josh Onomah and Steven Alzate broke down at the 11th hour.
Kelly, an ex-Liverpool trainee who graduated to the Reds first-team, was released by former club Crystal Palace at the end of last season having been on the periphery a Selhurst Park in recent seasons.
He only made one FA Cup appearance last term and has managed just a minute of Premier League football since January 2020. Kelly penned a two-year deal at The Hawthorns and said he is looking forward to repaying Bruce’s faith. He did not feature in the matchday squad against Burnley last week.
“He hasn’t played a lot of football,” Bruce admitted. “But with Semi and what happened to him and where we were, with his experience and know how, we need to get him up to speed quick.”
