West Brom plan to address Daryl Dike problem that 'is just not right'

Steve Bruce wants United States head coach Greg Berhalter to leave Daryl Dike out of his summer plans.

West Bromwich Albion paid Orlando City £7million to sign Dike in January, but the striker has barely kicked a ball for the club after suffering a serious hamstring injury on his first start. Dike has been sidelined since late January and hasn’t been available since Bruce replaced Valerien Ismael.

Dike isn’t likely to feature for the Baggies before the end of the season and Bruce has stressed how important pre-season will be for the 21-year-old. It has now been revealed that the USA have four fixtures in the space of two weeks shortly before Albion’s pre-season programme commences in the final week of June.

The Stars and Stripes will play Morocco in a friendly in Cincinnati on June 1 and another exhibition match is set to be announced for June 5. They will then play a Concacaf Nations League double-header against Granada (June 10) and El Salvador (June 14).

"We’re going to have to have that conversation with the USA because he is still not right," said Bruce. "To ask him, when he’s been out for four months, to go and play in a game without any pre-season… we’ll have those conversations with the relevant people. That’s on my agenda this week and the beginning of next week.

"It’s just not right for him to be anywhere near it. As we speak now he is still not fit. We’re doing everything we can to give him a chance for next year so I hope common sense will prevail."