Carlos Corberan admitted Albion have a decision to make on what to do with central defensive prospect Caleb Taylor this season.
The 21-year-old academy product is set to start for the Baggies in the EFL Cup first round at League Two Fleetwood tonight as head coach Corberan described him as ‘one of the club’s assets’.
But a decision has yet to be taken on whether the tall defender will head out for another loan or stay around as part of Corberan’s first-team squad. Albion replaced Cedric Kipre and Erik Pieters with Paddy McNair, on a half-season loan, and Torbjorn Heggem over the summer and Taylor was an unused substitute at QPR on Saturday.
“We always need to evaluate and re-evaluate the situation, because maybe what I expect today can change tomorrow, because the situation changes. Or maybe one week ago it can change,” Corberan said.
“I can tell you what Caleb needs – Caleb needs minutes.
“That’s why we loaned him in January. Unfortunately the minutes he needed in January he couldn’t achieve because he had an injury and when he was fit he couldn’t be involved in Bolton’s last part of the season.
“So it means his situation didn’t change from January. He still needs minutes. Depending on how we can manage the situation we will make the decision, but my priority is he needs minutes before he can be ready to help the club in the Championship.”
Taylor signed a new four-year contract at The Hawthorns this summer six months after fellow academy prospect agreed a long-term deal of his own. The club view the extension as some of their most important work of the off-season.
The centre-back enjoyed a superb loan out at Cheltenham in League One in 2022/23, where he was a mainstay in League One. He was kept in Albion’s ranks until January last season where a loan to third-tier promotion-hunting Bolton was agreed, but an injury early into the stint scuppered the chance of minutes.
