Injured Albion star Filipe Teixeira will return to England in the next week to step up his recovery from knee surgery.
The Portuguese playmaker will be reunited with his Baggies team-mates at the training ground in the next seven days – six months after damaging a cruciate ligament.
The popular 27-year-old could even make a return to the training field in the next week or two, as he targets a belated Premier League debut.
Teixeira, who was the surprise star of Albion’s Championship-winning team last season, has not played since being stretchered off in the 3-0 win against Plymouth on March 1.
He has been back home in Portugal throughout the summer recovering from surgery but has made some flying visits to England in recent months.
Albion’s on-site medical staff are now set to oversee the final phase of his rehabilitation.
Manager Tony Mowbray said: “He’ll be back in this week. He had a consultation with the specialist out in Portugal who has been overseeing his rehab.
“We hope he gets permission to get back into light training this week. I would hope he’ll be back on the training ground next week.”
The signs are that Teixeira’s recovery is on schedule Mowbray is refusing to put a timescale on his return.
He said: “It’s too early to set a date. We’ll see how he is. We have to be very tentative, so he’ll be doing no contact training.”
Mowbray is also awaiting shorter-term injury news on three of his other players.
Results are due in the next few days from scans on Neil Clement’s right knee, as the defender waits to discover if he needs more surgery.
Abdoulaye Meite is heading back to Albion from international duty with Ivory Coast for treatment on a calf injury.
Also, Scotland medics are keeping the Baggies posted on James Morrison’s fitness, as he struggles with a sore knee.
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