The Baggies veteran is out of contract at the end of the season but he is set to have an operation so he’s “ready for pre-season training”.
West Bromwich Albion have announced that Gareth Barry will miss the rest of the season through injury.
The 38-year-old midfielder will undergo surgery next week on a knee problem that has plagued him since the start of March.
Barry had been a key player in West Brom’s good form in the run-up to Christmas and even though his influence had waned since the turn of the year, it is still a big blow for the playoff-chasing Baggies.
“It’s a massive disappointment for me but I just have to accept I need the surgery,” he told the official WBA website. “I have tried to manage the injury in order to see the campaign through to the finishing line but it’s just not been possible.
“But I’ll be backing the boys all the way. Promotion is still very much the focus and I’ll be around to offer what ever help I can from the sidelines. Having the operation now means I should be ready for pre-season training. I have enjoyed my football this season and still feel I have a lot to offer.”
Barry’s contract expires at the end of the season (Transfermarkt) and although he has previously stated he wanted to play one more year whilst not elaborating where this would be (Daily Mail), his latest comments relating to pre-season training seem to hint towards an extended stay at B71.
After Albion posted the news on their Twitter feed, some Baggies fans took to the social media platform to have their say:
Albion are currently fourth in the Championship table, nine points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough with four games remaining.
They will take on Hull City, Reading, Rotherham United and Derby County in their last regular fixtures of the campaign.
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