Stoke old boy Carl Hoefkens today warned Albion to expect their hardest test yet when the sides clash tomorrow – and insisted the Potters are better than Watford.

Hoefkens is poised return to the Baggies back four to make his first return to the Britannia Stadium since his summer transfer to The Hawthorns. And the Belgian international has braced his team-mates for the biggest physical examination of the season after they overcame the direct approach of both Watford and Plymouth on their travels.

“Stoke are the best in the league by a mile at what they do,” said Hoefkens, who has missed the last two matches with a hamstring injury.

“I think they are even better than Watford at what they do. It will be a very hard game. They will be in our faces so it will be tough.

“We really enjoyed playing Watford and Plymouth away and they are quite physical sides.”

Read the full story in the Express & Star.

Stoke old boy Carl Hoefkens today warned Albion to expect their hardest test yet when the sides clash tomorrow – and insisted the Potters are better than Watford.

Hoefkens is poised return to the Baggies back four to make his first return to the Britannia Stadium since his summer transfer to The Hawthorns. And the Belgian international has braced his team-mates for the biggest physical examination of the season after they overcame the direct approach of both Watford and Plymouth on their travels.

“Stoke are the best in the league by a mile at what they do,” said Hoefkens, who has missed the last two matches with a hamstring injury.

“I think they are even better than Watford at what they do. It will be a very hard game. They will be in our faces so it will be tough.

“We really enjoyed playing Watford and Plymouth away and they are quite physical sides.

“Plymouth thought they could push on because they were third or fourth in the league and Watford were first in the league when we went there.

“They are both physical sides but if you can match them physically then sometimes you can play around them and then it’s great to play against teams like that.

“It’s all about circumstances and this might be a totally different game.”

Hoefkens was forced to sit out the victories over Leicester and Charlton after admitting defeat to the hamstring injury that had troubled him for several weeks.

But he has insisted he has not pushed himself too hard to get back to face his former club. “If the injury had been last week I wouldn’t have pushed to play,” said Hoefkens.

“I am professional enough to know that I needed a rest and it’s not that important to me whether it’s Stoke or anyone else.

“This game comes with a few other things but it’s really like any other game and it’s not one that I’m desperate not to miss.”

And the 29-year-old is hoping for a warm welcome back from his former club’s supporters. “It should be a good reception,” he said. “I never had a problem with anyone.

“In football anything is possible, especially if you do a few strong tackles in the beginning.”