Town manager Joe Royle has several injury problems as he goes into Saturday's game at table-topping West Brom. Chris Makin, Tommy Miller and Martijn Reuser are all out while Jermaine Wright is a doubt.

Makin has a pulled thigh muscle, Miller a bruise to a knee bone, Reuser a groin injury and Jermaine Wright went off in training on Thursday with a back strain. His condition will be assessed tomorrow and is not thought to be serious. Miller will also be looked at but he is considered highly unlikely ahead of the West Brom game.

Martijn Reuser is on the way back from his groin problem and is likely to be involved in the reserves next week and is already in light training.

Royle says the introduction of loanees Chris Bart-Williams and Alan Mahon was the boost his squad required ahead of Saturday: “It's what we needed. I think you'd have seen from the players' faces this morning that there's a buzz about the place, it has given everyone a lift.

“They're two good players, two very, very capable players. The first thing they've got to do is impress me to bring them here but the next thing they have to do is impress the players which they've already done. We're very much looking forward to Saturday.”

Both new players are set to come into the midfield starting line-up, Mahon on the left and Bart-Williams likely to partner Jim Magilton in the centre. Town's squad is unlikely to be announced until Jermaine Wright has been assessed on Friday.

Royle dismisses any ‘Gaardsøe factor' ahead of the visit to the former Town player's new club and says there is no problem between himself and the Dane: “We won't be talking about Thomas before the game. Thomas has done well there and when he's playing in three centre-backs he's a fine centre-half.

“It's not as if he's left here under a cloud or anything, he's very popular here and I'll be the first to shake his hand. As always it's up to us. If we play at our best I don't care who we play.”

Royle says West Brom constitute difficult opposition at present: “They're top of the league, they've had a great start, a powerful start and they are a powerful side.

“We will find form hopefully sooner rather than later. There were good signs against West Ham. I spoke then about the shoots of recovery and I hope the two new players will help us in that direction. They've certainly lifted everybody today.”

Town find themselves in the bottom three in Division One, a position not dissimilar to the one the club was in when Royle arrived last October. However, at this stage of the season the Town boss feels there is little distance to be made up: “There's by no means the same gap as last year. We've seen Burnley lose three times to start with and now with three wins they're a couple of points of second place.

“The leagues at this stage of the season are misleading. We don't like seeing where we are but I don't look at it too much. With the players we have in the squad we will improve.

”We have to start putting our chances away and, well as we've defended in the main, we still haven't had a clean sheet which we need.”

Royle denies saying last week that Town have little chance of making an automatic place, although he concedes it won't be easy given his side's start to the season: “I've not given up on the top two. It will be difficult, but it was always going to be difficult.”

Summer signing Georges Santos has been on the end of a fair amount of criticism since he moved to Town and Royle says fans have not yet been able to assess him in his preferred role: “I feel a bit sorry for Big Georges. He came here as a centre-half but because of injuries in pre-season he's played in midfield. He will still be regarded mostly as a centre-half who can play in midfield if required.

“I did see a suggestion that had he still been on trial I would not have signed him. But not at all, I'm delighted with Georges. You must remember that when he came here John McGreal was injured and so was Richard Naylor and we needed a centre-half.”

Thomas Gaardsøe is looking forward to facing his old club and says that he has no ill feeling towards Joe Royle after being allowed to leave in the summer: "I have nothing but respect for Joe as he gave me my chance when he first arrived at Ipswich and I will always be grateful to him for that."

Albion boss Gary Megson, an own goal Portman Road hero in his Norwich days, is after more from his players even though they are currently heading Division One: "I don't think we're playing anywhere near what we want as a team. Nobody's really done themselves justice yet. The new lads have settled in and done well but I'm looking for more and more from all of them.

"We've got to improve as a team and individuals have got to improve or they'll no longer be in the side. We have set off OK results-wise, but we know if we carry on playing as we are, the results aren't going to stay the same.

"It's not about a great start, middle or finish, you've got to have a really good season,"

Megson was named Manager of the Month for August and Town will hope that its curse will strike once more on Saturday.

The referee is Chris Foy from St Helens who so far has sent off three players in three games this season. He last refereed Town when the Blues drew 2-2 at Sheffield United in August 1999.

Photo: Action Images

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