Pulis patient with record buy Chadli
West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis wants supporters to show patience with Nacer Chadli – with Sunderland due to visit on Saturday.
The summer signing from Tottenham enjoyed a brilliant start to his Albion career, hitting four goals in his first five matches.
But the 27-year-old club record capture has struggled to impose himself on games since undergoing knee surgery in November, though he was lively off the bench in the recent FA Cup win over Derby.
Boss Pulis said of Belgian forward Chadli: “He’s a topclass racehorse. He needs to be finely tuned. I’ve worked with those players who have to be 100 per cent fit in their body and mind, and Chadli is like that.
“I’ve worked with players who will play through anything, have injections, and they won’t move.
“Then you have other people who have to be perfect, and they’re usually the top players.
“He’s getting closer, he’s not right on the button at the moment but he’s getting closer.
“He’s a top player and we desperately want him in the team and playing.”
Pulis, whose side sit in eighth place on 29 points ahead of the weekend visit of second-bottom Sunderland, added: “He started exceptionally well and hasn’t come back yet,” said Pulis.
“But Nacer’s not just for now, he is quality, real quality, and we have to nurture him and be careful with him and make sure we get him through it.
“Hopefully he comes out the other side showing what he did at the beginning when he joined us.
“We had him right at a level that he wants to be, and I don’t think – even if you speak to him – he still hasn’t got back to that level since his injury.”
West Brom should find out tomorrow if defender Allan Nyom can face Sunderland.
FIFA are to rule on a dispute with the Cameroon FA after Nyom and Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip chose not to make themselves available for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The pair have not been given clearance by Cameroon to play for their clubs, but FIFA should decide whether Nyom and Matip can return to action.
If the world governing body back Cameroon, then both players will have to sit out club matches until the Indomitable Lions exit the tournament. They won last night to top Group A after two games.