Morgan prepared for Berahino test

31 October 2014 16:31

Leicester captain Wes Morgan is ready for the challenge presented by in-form striker Saido Berahino when West Brom visit the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Berahino has scored five goals in his last four Premier League games, form that has seen him linked with an England call-up.

And he will no doubt fancy his chances of adding to that against Leicester who, after an excellent start to the season, have picked up just one point from their last four games.

But they remain unbeaten at home having held Everton and Arsenal to draws and beaten Manchester United, and Morgan is determined to keep it that way.

The defender said of Berahino to Foxes Player: "It's clear to see he's such a threat.

"I've been watching him myself. He's a good player and he's on fire at the moment. I think the whole team have to be aware of his capabilities and what he can do. We'll be ready for him come Saturday.

"We just have to get back to basics, believe in our capabilities, be positive and I'm sure we'll be okay.

"We're unbeaten at home so far this season and it's a place we definitely want to make a fortress. We want to continue that form against West Brom this weekend. It's a big game for us and we're at home with a point to prove."

Leicester's early fixtures prompted fears the Championship winners would have a difficult start to the season but instead they flew out of the blocks, with the 5-3 victory over Manchester United the highlight.

Since that match they have faced what appeared easier fixtures against Crystal Palace, Burnley, Newcastle and Swansea but a draw against Burnley was their only positive result.

Morgan admitted recent results have been a reality check, but said: "We're still upbeat.

"There were a couple of games recently that we could have got points from but we can't dwell on that now. We have to stay positive.

"We can't change past results. We've just got to look forward to our next game and getting back to winning ways again.

"I think, because we had such a good start and did so well, the expectation levels got a bit higher for us than people first thought.

"The last three or four games have brought us back down to earth, but we've got to now focus on our own jobs and make everything okay against West Brom."

Morgan was a slight doubt for the game after picking up a knock in last weekend's defeat by Swansea but was set to train as normal on Friday.

Alan Irvine admits he is worried about the spotlight on Berahino and insisted he is keeping a close eye on the West Brom star.

The Baggies boss is cautious about the pressure placed on the striker after his dream start to the season.

Berahino is the club's eight-goal top scorer and is the top English marksman in the Premier League.

The Under-21 international is also tipped for a senior call-up next month but Irvine wants to protect his player.

''So far he is coping well but it does worry me as it's a lot to ask of a young player,'' he said.

''The big thing for him is that, in order to maximise the potential, he has got to train the way he has been training, live life as he has been living life and then hopefully put in the performances he has been so far.

''That is difficult enough without all of the added attention he has been getting but so far he is handling it very well.''

The Baggies go to Leicester after being dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Bournemouth on Tuesday.

They drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in their last top flight game when Berahino scored a last-minute penalty to level.

Irvine was assistant manager at Everton when Wayne Rooney broke into the side as a 16-year-old and the Scot believes Berahino can handle the spotlight in the same way as the England skipper.

He said: ''Wayne was extremely mature as far as all that is concerned. He had a short fuse but has got better at managing that.

''Other than that Wayne had no problems mentally, he was unbelievably strong and loved playing football.

''We had no concerns and we tried to teach him how he needed to be.

''I'm not seeing Saido being a problem, the biggest thing is we support him as coaches and everyone provides him with as much support as possible.''

Jonas Olsson remains out for West Brom with an Achilles problem. The defender was the only member of the squad not to train on Thursday although Porto loanee Silvestre Varela will not play as he recovers from a groin injury.

Claudio Yacob is back after being granted permission to return to Argentina for personal reasons.

Irvine is expected to revert back to the side who drew with Palace after making 10 changes at Bournemouth in midweek.

Source: PA