Albion are facing a deepening centre-back crisis ahead of the sell-out clash at Hull after Jonas Olsson was ruled out for up to another six weeks.

Pele and Ryan Donk have also sat out training, leaving fitness question marks over all six Baggies centre-halves.

Pele and Donk look set to be pressed into action against the Tigers, despite niggles but Olsson has been told he needs more rest to cure the patella tendonitis that has ruled him out since the January 10 defeat at Aston Villa.

Leon Barnett is out with a hamstring problem, Neil Clement’s season was ended by another knee injury and Abdoulaye Meite has only just returned to training, after the hamstring injury he suffered at Chelsea on Boxing Day.

Manager Tony Mowbray said: “Pele didn’t train yesterday. He is suffering a bit with soreness and tightness in the groin area. He has not played a lot of football this year and playing in the intensity of the Premier League in the last few games has taken its toll.

“He hasn’t got an injury as such. He is just feeling stiff. Meite has trained but to put it into context he has trained for three days in five weeks.

“We will have to assess how Pele is feeling and Ryan Donk is similar. He is just getting through at the moment. Olsson is going to be out for another four to five weeks. He has been told to rest and relax, take it easy for a few weeks and let the inflammation go.

“Barnett, I would hope, would return within the fortnight. Whoever we play centre-half, they’ve got to get focused, be warriors for the team and get out there and try and do the job.

“It is not ideal but how many clubs would cope with having six centre-backs not 100 per cent fit? Hopefully we can get two fit enough to get on the pitch.

“If everyone was 100 per cent the two that start on Saturday probably wouldn’t be in the team but we have to get on with it and try to make the most of it.”

Mowbray also has injury concerns elsewhere in his team with midfielder Jonathan Greening out for up to six weeks, with strikers Luke Moore and Craig Beattie still around a week away from fitness.