Albion star Filipe Teixeira could make his Premier League debut at Old Trafford in a fortnight after injury.

The Portuguese midfielder has been pencilled in for a place in the Baggies squad to face Manchester United, after emerging unscathed from his reserves comeback this week.

Teixeira has been sidelined for almost seven months with a cruciate ligament injury but he played for an hour against West Ham reserves at Bishop Stortford on Tuesday.

He is now itching for a first team return and manager Tony Mowbray states he could appear at Old Trafford.

The Baggies boss said: “We’re trying to arrange one or two friendly games at the moment and there is a senior cup game coming up, although whether he’ll play a part in that I don’t know.

“In an ideal world he will get 90 minutes before he gets put into consideration for the first team. We hope he may be fit for Manchester United. He’s desperate to play.

“He’s had a long time to be out and he’s been training with full contact for the last couple of weeks now. He played in a reserve game which was pretty physical.

“He had a few head-to-heads with Lee Bowyer and it was an interesting game, which he came through with flying colours, but in my mind he needs to get through the 90 minutes before he clears that final barrier.

“But he’s over a major psychological barrier.”

Mowbray hopes that Teixeira could be joined in the squad at Old Trafford by fellow injury victims Chris Brunt (hamstring) and Abdoulaye Meite (calf), who are making solid progress in their recoveries.

The two-week international break should allow all three to put themselves in contention.

Mowbray said: “You don’t rush hamstrings but Chris is probably ahead of schedule, doing okay. I’m sure they’ll be raring to go at Old Trafford.”

The Albion manager is also relived at confirmation that South Korean star Kim Do-heon has suffered only medial ligament damage to his knee.

He will be sidelined for up to two months but the Baggies had feared even worse news from a knee specialist.

Mowbray said: “Kim has medial knee ligament damage. There was a chance it could have been an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) but hopefully we’ll now have him back in six to eight weeks.

“We’ve got a couple of weeks to get one or two back into contention. I feel this team can compete in the League and do okay.

“As the season goes on and we get people fit, we will hopefully be okay.”