Journalist Pete O'Rourke reckons that Daryl Dike's injury could force West Brom to go out and sign another striker.
The Baggies have been enduring an extremely tough time both on and off the pitch, not helped by their only January signing facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
What happened to Dike?
Following their time together at Barnsley in the second half of last season, Valerien Ismael had been keen on reuniting with the USA international ever since the summer. He failed in his bid back then, but got his man when Dike made the switch to the Hawthorns on 1 January.
After missing West Brom's opening two games of 2022, the 21-year-old finally made his Baggies debut as a second half substitute in their defeat at QPR earlier this month. Dike was then thrown in for his first start seven days later in the 3-0 home victory over Peterborough last Saturday.
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However, disaster struck for the striker when he was forced off after 53 minutes with a hamstring problem.
Having undergone a scan to discover the extent of the issue, Dike has since been ruled out for around two months, meaning he might not return to action until April, which will see him miss a host of crucial Championship fixtures.
West Brom were forced to play Matt Phillips up front as they suffered another damaging defeat to Preston on Wednesday night, and O'Rourke has predicted the Baggies to go out and replace him.
What did O'Rourke say about West Brom?
He told GIVEMESPORT: "I think they're going to be forced into the transfer market late on here to bring in another forward as cover, with Dike's injury a big blow to Valerien Ismael's plans."
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Who could West Brom sign?
According to Wales Online, the Baggies are interested in signing Middlesbrough frontman Uche Ikpeazu on loan. The striker has scored just twice in 20 Championship matches since joining from Wycombe last summer, with the likes of Cardiff, Millwall and Hull also in the race.
Despite Ismael clearly targeting a more physical number nine, Dwight Gayle could become an option late on in the window. Gayle enjoyed a memorable loan spell at the Hawthorns when he scored 24 goals to help the Baggies finish in the top-six in 2018-2019. He did sign a new deal at Newcastle last summer, but appears surplus to requirements having played just 27 minutes of top-flight football all season.
With time running out, West Brom face an anxious few days, which could prove crucial to their promotion hopes this season.