Carlos Corberan: Karlan Grant West Brom minutes could be key

Grant chalked up a a goal and assist as Albion snatched an FA Cup replay at National League Chesterfield on Saturday in the attacker’s first start since November 1.

It was the £15million signing’s fifth goal of the season but first since August. Corberan has been clear he sees Grant as a left winger and not centre-forward, where he was playing under Steve Bruce.

“Grant hasn’t played wide left for a long time. I don’t think he’s a one-v-one winger, but at the same time, he did that for the first goal and made an assist on a cross with his left foot,” Corberan said of the 25-year-old.

“He’s a player who can adapt to the needs of the team, the needs of the game, or the needs of the structure or positional advantage that you want to create.

“We know he’s a player who can score goals around the box – he’s a specialist. It is positive that he has 90 minutes in his legs and will be more ready to compete in the next one.”

Grant started the game well with two telling contributions inside 20 minutes but faded as Chesterfield took charge.

“He attacked well in the first half when he was more open,” Corberan added. “I watched him feel the impact of a long time without playing, and maybe he didn’t show the same level as the first half attacking inside. But accumulating 90 minutes can only help him be more ready to compete for the team.”

The big-money 2020 signing from Huddersfield, for whom at the time Corberan had just taken charge, has at times been the victim of Baggies fans’ frustration in what was a disastrous start to the campaign for Albion.

Matty Phillips has been the regular on Albion’s left flank under Corberan, though Grady Diangana has also featured but was disappointing in the Spireites draw.

Last season’s 18-goal top scorer Grant is next in line and does offer a natural goalscoring touch from the position, but it would take setbacks for both Daryl Dike and Brandon Thomas-Asante for Grant to lead the line on a regular basis.