9:00am Friday 13th April 2012
By Andy Naylor
Craig Noone may not play again for Albion this season – unless they reach the play-offs.
Boss Gus Poyet has hinted at protecting the winger from his fierce desire to play, despite hamstring pain.
Noone has started only two matches and made eight sub appearances since suffering a hamstring injury in the New Year’s Eve defeat at Coventry.
Poyet said: “He will never tell you the 100 per cent truth. Even if you check on him and he is in pain he won’t show it in his face, because he wants to play and I like that.
“He has been like that for four or five weeks and we were not sure if he was 100 per cent fit. This week we stopped it, we didn’t give him the chance to be fit his way and we said ‘come on get fit’, just in case we do something nice and get in the play-offs.
“You cannot go all the way with a problem in there which doesn’t let you play with the freedom we need.
“So we pushed him out of the training ground with the doc. I can tell you he was not happy but that’s Nooney.
“He is that type of player, very difficult to stop. We have got plenty of options, especially wide, so we need to put in the ones that are fully fit.”
Joe Mattock is expected to resume training today after missing Tuesday’s 1-0 home defeat by Reading through injury and midfielder Liam Bridcutt is available for tomorrow’s visit to West Ham following a two-match ban.
Poyet said: “He was playing all the time before he got suspended and we didn’t win. With two wins maybe he would have had a problem but we didn’t, so he has got a great chance.
“I’ve watched a few of West Ham’s games. I am still having as little bit of a dilemma with a couple of positions and they will influence the rest of the team.”
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