Posts Tagged ‘replay’

Bednar out, Miller and Barnes in?

Roman Bednar may well miss the trip to QPR this weekend, however, there is some great news in the fact that Roberto Di Matteo has confirmed Ishmael Miller and Giles Barnes are possible starters for the Loftus Road clash.

Bednar has a groin problem, picked up versus Reading in the cup replay and may be unfit to play. Barnes stepped up his comeback from long-term injury midweek when playing all 90 minutes of the Walsall reserves game. Miller on the other hand played for 70 minutes in the same game, a sure sign that his ankle must now be up to the job.

The returning internationals have all signed back in at the Hawthorns without a glimmer of an injury and Di Matteo had this to say:

“All the internationals will be reporting back tomorrow morning for training,” said the Hawthorns boss.

“Some are back already and some are not depending on where they’ve travelled from.

“Everyone seems to have come through the games fine.

“Roman Bednar is still injured and is doubtful for Saturday.

“Miller and Barnes played in the reserves on Tuesday night and both are in contention for Saturday.

“It’s good news.”

Michael Appleton has spoken of his surprise at Giles Barnes’ comeback from injury, the youngster on joined the Baggies last month and was still recovering from a ruptured Achilles he suffered last summer.

“I think he is ready, from my point of view and what I saw on Tuesday,” said Appleton.

“I was delighted he got 90 minutes. He looked strong at times and I knew he was quick without the ball but I didn’t realise he was that quick with the ball!

“For me he is around about ready for a place on the bench.

“Whether he gets that is a different question and one the head coach has to decide on.

“But I’m sure he will be in our thoughts on Saturday in terms of being on the bench.”

“He has probably surprised the playing staff,” the Baggies’ first-team coach added.

“But the work he has put in behind the scenes with the physios has been second to none and the physio and sports department have been working hard with him.

“They deserve to take a bit of credit because there was a lot of work he needed to do in the gym in terms of rehab and ‘prehab’ work and he did a lot of that before he even got onto the field.

“We are delighted he is at the stage he is now but I don’t think he would have been if he hadn’t done the work previously.

“He is a talented player who has been in the Premier League with Derby and he has played in some big games in the past.

“He has been to two or three clubs and had trial periods and it hasn’t worked out for him.

“Whether those clubs have been prepared to take a chance is another question.

“You would have to ask them.

“From our point of view, we recognised that he needed to do a lot of work before he even tried to kick a ball or get back on the training field or somewhere close to the first team.

“And the lad’s attitude and work rate to do all that before he even started to kick a ball was spot on – and that’s why we took a gamble on him.

“Touch wood he can stay away from injury because, if he can, we’ve got a real player on our hands.”

Morrison Could Return Tonight For Reading Game

After a ten month break due to injury James Morrison may make a return tonight in the Reading Cup Replay. The midfielder may get a bit part in tonight’s game after the heel problem injury problem seems to be coming to an end.

Having played an hour on Monday in a training match against Wrexham he is ready to go and glad to be so.

“I have been looking forward to this time,” said Morrison.

“I got a good hour under my belt and everything felt good.

“I was buzzing after the game.

“I felt great yesterday. I surprised myself.

“I thought I might feel a bit stiff but everything was fine.

“The training game was organised last week.

“I was going to play last Wednesday but we decided against it and I got a game in on Monday, so I am pleased with the game and thankful to Wrexham for playing.

“I am quite close. I have played an hour and I’ve been training for nearly two weeks now so I feel good and there is no reason why I can’t feel part of the squad now.

“After Monday I feel fine and now I just need more games.

“If that’s coming off the bench that’s fine.

“Hopefully just being back will give the team a boost.”

The young Scotland international reckons he was in the best of form before his injury and hopes to replicate that again.

“I thought last season was one of my best and it was sickening that I couldn’t carry it on this year but now I’m just looking to get back on the pitch,” he added.

“I was initially told I would be back for the end of last season and now it’s nearly a year on so it’s been really frustrating.

“But I’m just glad I’m over it now and I’m back.

“I think it will take me quite a while to get back to where I want to be and I have seen other people come back and get injured through going too quickly, so I will take my time – but give it my all.”

“At times it’s been difficult but I feel I will be a better person for this experience,” he said.

“I will always look back at this time and think ‘I’ve got something here’ and I will try to work on my game and get the best out of my ability.

“I’m lucky to have the experience of winning the Championship two seasons ago – and it was a great experience.

“That experience will help me come back into the team with the lads and hopefully we can push on into the top two.

“People think we just want to get promoted but I want to win the league – and I think we can.”

Reading Replay Ticket Update

Tickets are now on general sale for the Reading replay tomorrow night and available from the club ticket office.

Albion have reduced the prices for the game as follows:

£20 adults, £15 seniors/under-18s/students and £10 juniors.

Watson Arrives For The Season

Wigan midfielder Ben Watson has now arrived at the Hawthorns for the rest of the season in what could be the first of a few season long loans to come.

Watson will be unable to play in the Reading FA Cup replay as like Nouble he is cup tied, however, will be available for the visit of Derby on Saturday.

Baggies head coach Roberto Di Matteo said: “Having lost Gonzalo Jara for the remainder of the season to injury, we have been looking to strengthen the central midfield area and we are very pleased that he has joined us.

“Ben is very good technically and is a competitive player who knows the Championship very well. He has played many times at this level and knows what is required, which should help him to hit the ground running.”

Wigan have added a clause to the loan, allowing them to recall at 24 hours notice any time after Albion play Coventry on the 24th of March.

Watson comes to the Albion after spending a good while on loan at QPR, making 16 appearances and scoring twice.

Starting his career at Crystal Palace, he debuted at the age of 17 and made 169 appearances for the South London club, scoring 18 times.

Wigan battled for the young players signature, beating Middlesbrough to land him, he cost £2 million but has only made 7 appearances.

Watson has played just 33 minutes for the Latics since ereturning from QPR in December and is raring to go.

He said: “I was called back from my loan and told I would get a chance to play at Wigan, but I’ve only played half an hour in six weeks so it has been frustrating.

“That’s not what I want. I am at an age where I need to be playing first-team football and when the chance came to come to Albion I didn’t need any persuading at all.

“It’s frustrating that I can’t play in the game tonight against Reading, but I’m cup-tied, so I will raring to go against Derby if I get a chance on Saturday.”

Quarter finals to be televised.

Whoever wins the replay between Albion and Reading this time next week will play either Villa or Palace on Sunday, March 7 (ko 1.45pm).

Will it be a live televised game on Sunday March 7th from the Hawthorns or the Madjeski?

All FA Cup quarter final games will be screened live on ITV1.

Here are the times and dates for each game.

Saturday, March 6

Portsmouth v Blues (ko 12.30pm)

Fulham v Bolton or Tottenham (ko 5.20pm)

Sunday, March 7

Reading or West Brom v Crystal Palace or Villa (ko 1.45pm)

Chelsea v Manchester City or Stoke (ko 4pm)

Jerome Thomas gets a further ban

Jerome Thomas faced an FA disciplinary hearing this morning and was handed a further 1 match to his already long 4 match ban.

Albion legal director Darren Eales was at Wembley with Thomas who had to face a fresh charge of violent conduct for his actions after the red card at Plymouth.

Having already served 2 games of the now 5 game ban he will be available a week Saturday, quite soon really, however testament to the amount of games needed to be played in such a short time. This will allow him to play in the Derby game in just 11 days.

The games he will miss are Cardiff tonight, Bristol City and next week’s FA Cup fifth-round replay against Reading.

Reading FA Cup replay tickets info

Tickets for the Reading replay next Wednesday are on sale to season ticket holders and members now.

Albion seem intent on getting a bumper crowd and have reduced ticket prices for the tie, although the reductions are more for season ticket holders than not.

The prices for season ticket holders are £15 adults, £10 seniors/under-18s/students and £5 juniors and for non season ticket holders are as follows, £20 adults, £15 seniors/under-18s/students and £10 juniors.

Seat tickets are now on sale and will go on general sale from 9AM Saturday morning, you may purchase your tickets online, by phone or from the Hawthorns ticket office.

Any season ticket holder not purchasing their ticket by Friday 4PM will lose the right to their seat.

Their will be no relocation for Smethwick end fans as Reading have only been allowed an allocation of 2800 tickets, this was on their own request.

FA Cup draw may match Albion and Villa

This afternoon’s FA Cup draw see’s the possibility of the Baggies facing local rivals Aston Villa at the Hawthorns.

Still two games need to be settled, however, should Villa and Albion both progress to the quarter finals they will be paired against each other.

After an entertaining draw today, Villa need to replay against Crystal Palace and then the result of that will see them play the winners out of next Wednesday’s Albion, Reading replay.

Chelsea face Manchester City or Stoke in the quarter-finals. The reigning champions easily beat Cardiff City 4-1 yesterday to make the next round and they will host either City or the Potters, who played out a 1-1 draw at Eastlands last night.

Elsewhere, Portsmouth will face Birmingham while Fulham meet Bolton or Tottenham.

FA Cup quarter-final draw:

Chelsea v Manchester City or Stoke

Fulham v Bolton or Tottenham

Reading or West Brom v Crystal Palace or Aston Villa

Portsmouth v Birmingham

Ties to be played on the weekend of March 6 and 7.

Di Matteo’s selection headaches growing and growing

Roberto Di Matteo’s selection headaches have mounted tonight after Albion’s 4th game in under two weeks and 5th game in a fortnight. There are now another 3 games to come in the next 10 days too, including the FA Cup replay scheduled for Wednesday 24th.

Andy Slory should have started today, however, limped out of the pre match warm up with an Achilles injury so the Dutchman may be out for a while.

Gonzalo Jara, needed five stitches to a foot injury after todays game at Reading and Abdoulaye Meite was also forced of the Madejski Stadium pitch with an ankle injury.

Di Matteo is now going to have major concerns for the trip to Cardiff Tuesday night, what with these 3 injuries today and the existing injury list consisting of Marek Cech (hamstring), Ishmael Miller (ankle) and James Morrison (heel). Then of course we have Jerome Thomas with 3 matches left on his ban and a longer ban possible when he faces an FA charge. Now there is also Mulumbu banned for 2 games too, after this afternoons sending of for a second bookable offence.

“The number of games we’re playing is very demanding and I’m a bit sad because we’ve lost Jara to injury, Meite had to be taken off and Mulumbu is now suspended,” said Di Matteo.

“I already had a big injury list back home, so that’s a bit of a downside.

“I’ll have to assess the situation and then we’ll see what we have to do.

“Before today’s game, I already had five players out.

“Jara needed five stitches and we’ll have to wait and see on Meite’s injury – but hopefully it’s not too bad.”