West Bromwich Albion have a prime crop of youth talent just waiting to burst into the first-team, and with the senior squad in blistering form, there has arguably never been a better environment into which to unleash them.
Their integration could be seamless as they begin to replace their ageing counterparts one-by-one without disrupting the flow of a team who have been flying in the Championship, despite Friday night’s setback against Birmingham.
Whilst some players remain undroppable, there are others who leave room for improvement in certain facets of their performances. As such, that could leave a gap for one of those youngsters to exploit.
A prime example is Darnell Furlong, who has been a part of a solid back four and is entering his prime years. However, his lack of attacking impetus is a chink in his armour upon which Ethan Ingram could capitalise.
In 11 appearances this season in Premier League 2, the 19-year-old boasts four goal contributions already, which suggests that his technical proficiency puts him on a level above the U23s.
By contrast, across 25 Championship matches in the current campaign, Furling only has two goals and zero assists to his name.
This would be far more forgivable if the 27-year-old were a huge contributor to Albion’s fine defensive record, but with just 0.9 interceptions and one tackle per 90, one might wonder why he is retaining his place in the team.
A 6.90 Sofascore rating might hint at solidity, but with the potential attacking upside that Ingram could bring at right-back, a change might be in order.
The teenage sensation was noted for his remarkable all-around attributes just last year when journalist Josh Bunting wrote on Twitter that the youngster was “good at going up and down from full-back also aggressive”.
Along with his steely resolve and self-confidence, this makes him a hugely precocious asset for the present and the future. Despite his youth, he believes in himself enough to state his intentions to “push on” towards the first-team after a successful period in the West Brom academy.
With two senior appearances to his name already, there will be hope that he can add to that before the end of the season in order to give himself the best possible chance of a place in Corberan’s team, regardless of whether or not the Baggies win promotion.
He seemingly has the attributes and the mindset to succeed, and it will surely not be long before Furlong is looking over his shoulder when the time for team selection comes around.
