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At 29 years of age you’d expect better from Hal Robson-Kanu. But, the fact of the matter is, the Welshman is now suspended for the entirety of the play-offs.
His red card was extremely petulant, kicking out at Derby man Bradley Johnson. Why he did it in injury time with his side three games from promotion, only he will know.
Robson-Kanu’s form hasn’t been particularly great this season but he’s still been a useful man to bring off the bench.
Because of his suspension, Jimmy Shan now only has two fit first-team strikers going into the biggest matches of the season. So, what should his solution be?
On the chalkboard
In truth, Albion haven’t needed more than two strikers this season. Both Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have been phenomenal, scoring 23 and 22 goals respectively in the league.
However, going into the weekend the Baggies could do far worse than giving Jamie Soule a first-team call-up. The 18-year-old has been exceptional for the youth teams this term and despite not bolstering huge experience, he seems to thrive on the big occasion.
In the FA Youth Cup, he found the net against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City as Albion reached the semi-finals.
That proves Soule can do it in games of importance and although it would be a baptism of fire, he should be an option to consider. That’s especially considering the lack of attacking choices left at Shan’s disposal.
Soule would certainly prove to be a more lively customer from the bench than Robson-Kanu has been. He boasts the ability to run at the defence which is something that could be telling in the latter stages of matches.
Across all age groups this term, the forward has notched 14 goals. That’s a superb indicator of the talent he possesses.
It would be a considerable gamble to thrust him in at such an important stage of the season, but with a report suggesting Borussia Dortmund are lurking, a senior team call-up is sure to have him thinking twice about the possibility of moving away.