Albion boss Mark McGhee is widening his search for a centre forward and centre half.

He was in southern Ireland at the weekend on a scouting mission and the manager and his backroom team are clocking up the miles again this week ahead of Sunday's showdown with Crystal Palace.

McGhee was at Tolka Park, Dublin, on Friday night for a trio of potential transfer targets, including a couple of central defenders, in Shelbourne's goalless draw against table-topping Cork.

He has dismissed a report in the Irish press that one of them is Shelbourne's Cameroon international Joseph Ndo.

McGhee said: "We are still out looking at games for a centre half and a centre forward has got to be a priority because we are not scoring goals."

Paul McShane's one-match suspension against Palace emphasises a shortage of cover at the heart of the back four for the on-loan Manchester United youngster and regular partner Guy Butters.

The versatile Adam El-Abd, better known as a rightback, is expected to deputise for McShane, Albion's joint top scorer on three goals with Leon Knight and midfielder Dean Hammond.

Knight is likely to return up front at the expense of Jake Robinson or Colin Kazim-Richards.

Charlie Oatway (neck) and Albert Jarrett (foot) both resumed training yesterday and should be available for Palace's visit.

A minute's silence will be held before the kick-off on Sunday in memory of former Albion stalwart Glen Wilson, who died of a heart attack last week aged 76