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Di Matteo backs brunt as skipper West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo has hailed Chris Brunt as the "natural" choice to lead the Baggies against Blackpool. The Italian decided on Thursday that his regular skipper, goalkeeper Scott Carson, would not be involved after a string of indifferent performances and the impressive display put in by his deputy, Boaz Myhill, against Reading last weekend. As a result, Di Matteo has given the armband to Northern Ireland international Brunt, and he is confident the 26-year-old is up to the task. He told his club's official website: "Chris has matured a lot in the time I've been at the club. He's become a very consistent player. "He's got a great personality and is very well respected. I think he is a natural captain." Last week's FA Cup exit at Reading was Albion's sixth successive defeat in all competitions, and, after a promising start to the season that saw them occupy one of the Champions League positions, they go into the game in 16th place. Di Matteo, though, hopes that having a full week to prepare for the clash with Ian Holloway's men will stand them in good stead. He added: "I haven't had a run like this as a manager or a player so it is new to me. But a few of our players have gone through it before and so have some of the staff. "So we have been talking about it and talking to the players, trying to pick them up and give them some confidence. "One good result can change everything. "It was good to get a normal week in and give people the chance to recover their energy and get over illness. "So it has been good for us and we really needed it. "We were on our last legs in the last FA Cup and you could see we couldn't quite raise our game to where we wanted to." Former Hull stopper Myhill will make his first Premier League appearance for the club, with England squad member Carson taking his place on the bench. Striker Peter Odemwingie is a doubt with an ankle injury, while Ismael Miller and Pablo Ibanez are both struggling with hamstring strains. There is some good news for Di Matteo with Gabriel Tamas returning from a three-match suspension, but that is offset by Jonas Olsson serving a ban of his own, while Steven Reid (knee) is out. Meanwhile, Blackpool boss Ian Holloway believes his team have thrived this season because they are free of the weight of expectation - which is how he wants things to stay. Following their surprise promotion via the Championship play-offs in May, the Seasiders have performed impressively so far in their maiden Barclays Premier League campaign, taking 28 points from their opening 20 fixtures. Holloway feels the way Blackpool were so widely written off in the summer has worked to their advantage and, although he admits it is nice to prove the doubters wrong, the 47-year-old is wary of people's views shifting. "I've got the easiest job in the world, because there are no expectations on me," said Holloway, whose side, currently ninth, take on West Brom at The Hawthorns tomorrow. "If that starts to build with our crowd, then I've got to dampen and quash that because that is why we are doing so well. "In my opinion, expectation in football has gone completely crazy, and nothing sums it up more than us. "If we turn up, everyone is booing their team before they even start - 'boo, you can't have Blackpool passing it past you, what is going on? It's only Blackpool'. "You have to earn the right to be a good team, whoever you are, in any division. "If you look at managers who have got the sack, where has that come from? The expectations of everybody. "Even if you are only one or two points off where you think you should be as a club, then the manager gets the sack these days." Blackpool midfielder Elliot Grandin faces a late fitness test ahead of the clash. Grandin has suffered problems with his hamstring in recent weeks and was withdrawn in the second half against Liverpool on Wednesday, although Holloway is optimistic the Frenchman will be able to travel with the squad to the midlands. Holloway has no other fresh injury concerns, but David Carney is still at the Asian Cup with Australia.