Mixed news for Di Matteo

07 August 2009 08:24
West Brom head coach Roberto Di Matteo has mixed news on the injury front heading into the huge season opener against Newcastle. Ishmael Miller remains sidelined having undergone a second operation on his cruciate knee ligament, while fellow striker Roman Bednar is still suspended pending a Football Association investigation into his alleged purchase of drugs back in May. Midfielder James Morrison (heel) and defender Neil Clement (knee) have not yet resumed full training and new signing Reuben Reid is behind in his pre-season preparations, meaning he is unlikely to start but may feature at some point. Left-back Paul Robinson has departed for Bolton during the summer but Marek Cech should step in regardless of the speculation over his future, while captain Jonathan Greening is also likely to start despite the uncertainty over whether he will also remain at The Hawthorns. Di Matteo should give new-boy Simon Cox the nod up front in what will be, for both of them, their first competitive fixture for the club, with either Luke Moore or Craig Beattie partnering the former Swindon hot-shot in attack. But the Albion boss does not have any injury problems to contend with among the squad of players he started pre-season with, while midfielder Robert Koren is available following the recent birth of his second child.

Source: Eurosport