West Brom having Grzegorz Krychowiak back should provide major boost

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Grzegorz Krychowiak could return for West Bromwich Albion’s next game, according to Alan Pardew.

In comments reported by the Express and Star in the wake of their defeat to Southampton, Alan Pardew suggested that West Brom can expect to have Grzegorz Krychowiak back available for their next game.

Krychowiak was taken off shortly after the half-hour mark during the Baggies’ heavy defeat to Manchester City towards the end of last month and missed the subsequent clash with the Saints.

That game saw West Brom lose what could certainly go down as an early six-pointer, with Mauricio Pellegrino’s men coming away from The Hawthorns with a 3-2 win. And arguably, a key reason for their victory was their ability to win the midfield battle.

For that reason, Krychowiak’s return for the trip to Chelsea next Monday undoubtedly provides the Baggies with a massive boost – even if that is a sentence that few would have expected to be suggested in the weeks before Pardew’s appointment. The Sun reported last year that there was even talk of his loan being terminated early.

The Poland international has started to show exactly why he was considered to be one of the signings of the summer transfer window across the entire Premier League when he arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on loan, particularly in the surprise FA Cup win over Liverpool last month.

In his absence against the Saints, Gareth Barry and Claudio Yacob almost looked out of their depth as a pairing so Krychowiak’s return could be huge for West Brom’s chances of potentially sneaking a surprise result away with them from Stamford Bridge.

Though he has not always shown his full quality this term, there is no question that if Krychowiak is able to find his best form during the coming months, West Brom stand a significantly better chance of keeping themselves in the top flight.