Albion boss Steve Coppell is contemplating a goalkeeping conundrum as he plots promotion from the Second Division.

Dave Beasant's short-term deal has expired and rookie Will Packham has been released, which leaves Michel Kuipers as the only custodian under contract.

Now Coppell is weighing up whether he needs, and can afford, genuine competition for the injury-ravaged Kuipers or the cheaper option of another young understudy.

Coppell's first port of call will be Beasant. In an ideal world he would like to have the 44-year-old back on board, but there are complications.

Beasant, Simon Rodger and Dean Blackwell were all drafted in by Coppell last season on short-term deals as Albion fought for First Division survival.

If they are re-signed it will use up a chunk of the playing budget set aside for squad strengthening and the manager's priority is strikers.

Beasant joined Albion from Wigan in January on the understanding he was assured first team football.

That is why Ben Roberts, the initial choice to replace the stricken Kuipers on loan from Charlton, was reluctantly sent back by Coppell once he had recovered from illness.

Beasant will not wish to be languishing in the reserves behind Kuipers at this stage of his career.

Roberts could be another option now that he has been released by Charlton, but he would have to take a substantial drop in wages.

The way Coppell solves his goalkeeping puzzle may be determined by how much confidence he has in the fitness of Kuipers.

Albion's No. 1 has been plagued by thigh trouble for the past couple of seasons.

The kicking muscle in his right leg finally gave way in the FA Cup defeat at Norwich, which ruled him out of the rest of the campaign.

Kuipers has undergone surgery to repair the damage since then, but there is bound to be a nagging doubt at the back of Coppell's mind until he proves his fitness during pre-season.

Coppell would love to have someone of Beasant or Roberts' ilk donning the gloves if Kuipers broke down.

He has to balance the desire for two established goalkeepers against the limitations of a Second Division budget.

It will be one of the more important decisions Coppell makes this summer.

Kuipers' remarkable record of 19 clean sheets was, together with Bobby Zamora's goals, instrumental in Albion winning the title two seasons ago.

Meanwhile, assistant boss Bob Booker is relieved Coppell has resolved his future by agreeing a new one-year contract.

Booker, who has jetted off to the States for a fortnight, said: "I'm really pleased. It was probably hard for Steve at first last season, getting to know the staff and wondering what we were thinking, but we are all 100 per cent behind him.

"We are just getting into a nice little pattern and I would like to think we are building up a good relationship.

"It gives us a bit of stability now. Steve has knowledge and experience of the Second Division and everything is in place, so we are not going down the same route as last summer.

"We've all spoken about it since the end of the season when Steve was on holiday and we were hoping he would stay. We didn't want the turmoil of change again."