Charlie Tasker has been told to use the summer to get himself fit as Albion look to line up a loan move for the 20-year-old prospect. Shannon Ruth said the defender, who missed the end of the season with a thigh injury, should be ready for pre-season and remains in the club’s plans for the months ahead.
That timing matters because Tasker’s next step has been under discussion since the spring. His last outing came on April 3 in a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, and he was then ruled out of the under-21s’ push for Premier League 2 success in the play-offs. Even so, he stayed close to the squad, including on the night of the final against Manchester United at the Amex, and was one of four under-21s chosen to model the club’s 125th anniversary shirt at awards night.
Ruth told The Argus that Tasker needs to get himself fit over the summer, adding that he will be fit by pre-season and that Albion are hopeful of a loan opportunity for him in the summer. It is a clear sign that the club want his recovery handled with an eye on the next stage of his development, rather than rushing him back before he is ready.
That plan comes after Tasker had been expected to go on loan in the January window but stayed on board instead. He has already made two senior Carabao Cup appearances last season, which gives Albion a small body of first-team evidence to weigh against the need for regular football elsewhere. The next question is not whether Tasker belongs in the conversation; it is whether Albion can turn summer hopes into a loan move that actually gets him playing.
