West Bromwich Albion and Nigeria first team player Semi Ajayi may be down after cupping a hamstring injury in the second half of the club’s encounter with Cardiff City two weekends ago, but he’s not out in any way. He says he misses the game but optimistic that he would be back in no time. “It’s tough to be out for four months. However I’m in good hands. I’m optimistic that the surgery will be successful and in no time I’ll be back.” According to manager Carlos Corberán; “Semi, unfortunately, has suffered a more difficult injury. It was an action which was an accident. In this action, he has broken his muscle in two parts. “The best way to manage this injury is with surgery because surgery helps reduce the risk of suffering this type of injury again.
“There are injuries which affect the tendon in specific areas where you have to have surgery. The surgery delays things by around two weeks, but it also reduces the risk of the injury reoccurring.
“Returning in about 16 weeks is the approximate time when you have this type of surgery.
Unfortunately, Corberan is facing weeks without Ajayi and two other regular defenders.
“Kyle Bartley has had an injury and he has had minor surgery this week. It’s a different type of surgery. It’s a more positive one because it cleans the problem that he had in his knee.
“We have been very positive with this but the time from surgery to recovery is around four to six weeks.
“We are talking about three specific centre-backs who have had injuries at the same time, all within a week. It is what it is and it will be a challenge for us as a team and for individuals too.
“However, we still have players who can play in that position. Players such as Torbjørn Heggem, who has been playing at left-back. We know he can find his level as a centre-back in a line of three of four.
“Mason Holgate is another player who is similar to Heggem and someone who we consider as both a centre-back and a full-back. He can manage this position too.
“We have players here who can allow me to keep playing with a line of four despite the three injuries, or we can find alternatives in a line of five at the back.
“We have other players who can fill in positions such as Ousmane Diakité and Gianluca Frabotta.
“It’s true that we now have a time which is challenging in terms of our defenders, but we will find solutions. Our defensive players have been playing very well and that meant other players didn’t have many opportunities to play. The players who weren’t playing many minutes are very good players and they will now get their opportunity in the team.
“We now have a challenge as a team to keep showing solidarity in our defensive positions.
“Elsewhere, when Daryl suffered his original injury we hoped he’d be back before Christmas. The new muscle injury will now mean he will return after Christmas.
While on the side line, Ajayi has time to reflect on how far he has come in his career says he has reasons to be gracious.
TRIAL UPON TRIAL
Semi’s career has been intriguing from his trials with Ajax, Arsenal and West Brom and from setting aside a sparkling academic career for soccer; the Albion centre-back has been a model of consistency and excellence since arriving at The Hawthorne.
A sparkling student, he decided to set aside his academic achievements to focus on a career in football and, like his defensive partner Kyle Bartley, has arrived at the Club via a circuitous route around the various levels of English football. He’s now an established Nigerian international and is flourishing with the Baggies.
“I was born in Croydon but just after my brother was born, when I was two, we moved to Thamesmead where I grew up. I suppose it was a bit of a rough area and my mum and dad really made sure me and my brother worked hard at school and studies and didn’t have chance to get into any trouble. Football, though, was a big part of my life – and my brother’s – and as we grew older it became a big part of dad’s life too! He would have to run us everywhere to play games.
“Going to Charlton at 16 was a big moment for me because it would mean leaving school and my academic career. But my parents left the decision to me. I had really good grades and football definitely represented a bigger risk. But that was what I wanted to do and they stood by my decision. My mum (Dayo) was born in the UK but moved back to Nigeria where she met my Dad (Biyi)… yes, mum and dad did a lot for me and my brother Fikayo who was just as keen on football. Between us, dad would be taking us to football six days a week.
“Charlton was really good for me. I got a great football education at Charlton but the one thing that I couldn’t see was a pathway to the first team. What I needed most of all, I felt, was first-team football and I left to go in search of a club where I might be able to get it. I had trials all over that summer: Sunderland, Ipswich, Arsenal, Cardiff, and Ajax.
“But Rotherham was the first place I found a home in football. At other places I always felt I was playing for my parent club and not the team I was in. But at Rotherham I really settled down and became a main part of the team and at last I got that regular first-team football I knew I needed.”
Ajayi says his allegiance has always been with Nigeria and not England, his country of birth.
“The decision was made a long time ago. I decided to play for the Under-20s when I was 19 and the goal was always to play for the first team. As a youngster, we would go there every two years to visit my mum and dad’s families… it was nice to meet my grandparents and all my cousins. It’s a really nice country; mum’s family is in Lagos. She makes Nigerian food at home but it’s different when you go out there and get the real thing. The ingredients are that bit fresher I think. It’s lovely food; I really enjoy it. Nigerians love their football and they are becoming more aware of me now that I am playing a lot more consistently with the national team. They know about Albion of course but they love the Premier League – all the Premier League players are worshipped out there.”
Ajayi dreams of returning to Premier League action. “I would say play in the Premier League consistently and that’s obviously something I would like to do here with Albion. That would be in there. And definitely play in the World Cup. And win the African Nations Cup. All three would be excellent.”
He was close to getting the African trophy early this year playing all minutes of all the matches en route to final only to finish in second place with Nigeria. Hosts country Cote d’ Ivoire came back from behind to beat Nigeria 2-1.
