The Ecuadorian international joined the Hawthorns this summer as one of three newcomers on a season-long loan from Brighton. Despite playing in all of the Championship games so far, he has not yet made Corberan’s starting XI for league matches.
There have been cries for Sarmiento to start after the international break after he scored in the Baggies’ victory over Middlesbrough and then set up a crucial opportunity against Huddersfield, but Corberan has indicated he still has to add components to his game.
The Express and Star (11 September) cited statements from him as saying: “If I were to rate him, the level of minutes that he played against Huddersfield, he showed that he still has difficulty to handle the minutes of the game. He needed a lot of time to complete the second action after completing the first, which was crucial. He was suffering as a result in several areas.
“Let’s see how he keeps developing, but I believe he is having the impact we want right now. Football requires both elite starting players and elite backup players.
Time to start
Although Sarmiento has had to work on his fitness in order to play the type of football that Corberan wants to see at The Hawthorns, his potential and ability are now such that he practically needs to be used from the outset.
This season, the Brighton loanee has completed the most dribbles per 90 minutes of any player in England’s top four leagues. 4 September, NT Stats. When he has played for the Baggies, he brings something unique to the team’s lineup.
With two weeks off during the international break, Sarmiento may have had the perfect opportunity to show Corberan that he is now ready to start, and he should be the freshest he has been since arriving at the Hawthorns.
It may also be easier for the 21-year-old to manage his workload as a starter rather than a substitute because he is frequently expected to come on and impact proceedings with a burst of energy that players who play the entire match are not asked to do.
Sarmiento will hopefully make his debut against Bristol City on Saturday (16 September).
