Daryl Dike breaks silence after latest West Brom injury setback

West Brom striker Daryl Dike has broken his silence after he was rocked by a devastating injury blow against Ipswich Town.

The 23-year-old had to be helped off in the 2-2 draw against Portman Road last Saturday. He came on as a substitute but was forced off after 10 minutes and it was confirmed to be an Achilles injury. Dike has only been back in action for West Brom since January but faces a spell on the sidelines.

WBA confirmed on Monday that Dike would miss the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign. He has ruptured his Achilles and that will require surgery followed by a period of rehabilitation.

"Unfortunately I have been injured again," said Dike in a post shared on his social media platforms.

"Over this past day, I have been trying to wrap my head around the situation and I honestly still can’t, nor do I think, I will be able to for a while.

“One thing I quickly realised, however, is how blessed I am to have so many supporters around me. The amount of messages, videos and comments that I have received has been unbelievable.

“I see them all. I genuinely don’t even know how to thank you all. The things that I have seen have filled my heart and my spirits so much. I have been brought to tears numerous times."

Dike has played 32 games for West Brom since joining for a reported $9.5 million transfer fee. He has scored eight goals in that time and netted against Aldershot in the FA Cup. The Oklahoma-born forward was out for 264 days having undergone surgery for his Achilles after suffering the issue in April 2023. He also spent time on the sidelines with a thigh and hamstring injury according to TransferMarkt.

Dike added: "“As many of you know I have been injured multiple times and it has made it easy for me to think negatively. Luckily, this support has pushed many positive thoughts back in. No matter how many times I get knocked down I will keep getting back up.

“I’ve done it before and I will do it again. At the end of the day, all I want to do is play football and be happy again. I know I will and I won’t stop working until my dreams come true.

“No words can be expressed to explain my appreciation towards you all. When the success comes (and it will come) we will all be ready to celebrate together.”

Several of Dike's teammates have lent their support to him, Brandon Thomas-Asante said: " Honestly speaking, even three points wouldn’t have been able to compensate for what my brother went through yesterday.

“All I can say is I love you brother, and me and the boys feel convicted to go through this with you together (not with a token Instagram post, but with presence, counsel and support) to see you back to the world-beater that you are.

“More than just teammates, can’t wait to see you shine again soon with that superhero-esque celebration man. God bless brother, may he strengthen your heart.”

Turkish midfielder Okay Yokuslu added: "Football is cruel sometimes - your strength and determination has been inspiring and just like last time, you will overcome this setback! We are all with you every step of the way "Looking forward to seeing you back on the pitch, doing what you do best!"