West Brom defender to miss rest of season after knee surgery
Albion have been dealt a devastating injury blow during the international break.
Albion right-back Nolan Galves will miss the remainder of the 2026/27 following knee surgery.
After further tests and consultation on the injury picked up in the win at Derby County last month, it was determined Galves needed to undergo work including an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
The summer recruit went under the knife earlier this week and will not feature again for James Morrison’s side between now and May.
The news comes as a huge blow both for Galves and Albion, as the Frenchman was making progress at right-back and put in some encouraging displays prior to the significant injury. He was a first-half substitute at Derby following Brayann Pereira’s debut red card, but the innocuous injury came shortly into the second period.
Albion director of medical Tony Strudwick said: “Nolan sustained a significant knee injury in the game against Derby early in September.
“Following consultation with a knee specialist he underwent surgery earlier this week, including an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
“We expect him to miss the remainder of the 2026/27 season. He will complete his rehabilitation with the football club and we will support him every step of the way. I’m sure everyone will join us in wishing Nolan the best of luck in his recovery.”
Galves checked in from French second tier outfit Rodez in a move believed to be worth around £1million in the summer. After some initial defensive struggles in the early weeks of the campaign the full-back showed progress. Teething problems were expected as Galves operated in a more attacking wing-back role at his former club.
Boss Morrison initially said the defender would miss at least ‘a few months’ citing a meniscus injury in the knee, but the significant injury is a more serious one that includes other aspects.
The hammerblow has stalled progress and Morrison faces a head-scratcher on the right of his back four - with the onus to fall on Galves’ compatriot Pereira.
Pereira’s debut endured the worst possible individual outcome as he was dismissed for two yellow cards after 34 minutes at Pride Park.
He served a one-match suspension, with left-back Callum Styles deputising on the right against QPR, and Pereira returned as an unused substitute in the Black Country derby defeat at Wolves.
It is expected Pereira, the recruit from NEC Nijmegen in The Netherlands, will be offered a run in the side to try to make the position his own.
France-born Pereira did not leave for international duty with Republic of the Congo during this break despite a debut call up by the African nation.