Albion are sweating on a major injury scare for Ashley Barnes which could force them into the loan market to solve a striker crisis.

Barnes came off the bench to score the winner at Oldham on Saturday but was then stretchered off after severely twisting an ankle.

He had a scan yesterday on the ankle, which is still swollen, and will have further tests today before the club announce the extent of the damage.

Boss Gus Poyet still has top scorer Glenn Murray and Chris Wood at his disposal for tomorrow night’s home game against Notts County but he could make a loan signing before Thursday’s deadline.

Although Poyet has Spaniard Fran Sandaza and Norwegian rookie Torbjorn Agdestein for back-up, Murray is fatigued and the manager’s options are restricted by unavailability and injury issues.

Wood misses Saturday’s home game against Swindon to play for New Zealand in a friendly in China. Chris Holroyd was recently loaned out to Bury and cannot be recalled during the first month, while Gary Hart has been sidelined by a slight hamstring problem, although he is expected to resume training today.

Poyet added: “It is going to be an opportunity maybe for Fran to perform for us from the beginning or in the last half-hour. Glenn finished the game really, really tired so we need to keep an eye on him.

“It looks like it was written in the script that Chris Holroyd would never play for us again. He was on fire and I had a feeling he would help us, then the strikers started scoring goals for fun. He didn’t even make the squad three or four times and he has got to play but now Ash has got injured.”

Alan Navarro made his comeback to the squad at Oldham as an unused substitute following six months out with knee trouble but Tommy Elphick missed out with mumps.

Albion are seven points clear with games in hand of the teams immediately below them following their fifth victory in succession. Peterborough will reduce the lead to six points if they win at MK Dons tonight.