Scott Carson has told Albion that relegation could have long-term consequences – and warned they are running out of time to save themselves.

The Baggies head to Everton looking for an unlikely victory to boost their hopes of staying in the Premier League.

Goalkeeper Carson, who was a reserve at Leeds and a regular at Charlton when those clubs were relegated from the top flight, reckons they are proof that bouncing back from the Championship is tough.

He said: “It happened to me when I was at Leeds and they went down again afterwards. It’s proving hard for them to return.

“All the money just seems to be in the Premier League, which is why it’s really important for everyone associated with clubs to stay in it.

“I was only on loan at Charlton but it’s not nice being relegated. No one wants to be in a team that gets relegated.

“It was my first season in the Premier League and I came away from it with a lot of confidence, because I was making saves every week.

“I won the player-of-the-season award. That was all good for me but I’d have preferred us to have finished 16th or 17th.

“Charlton’s a great club and I enjoyed my time there. I was more disappointed than anyone when we went down.

“We had three managers that season, with Iain Dowie, Les Reed and Alan Pardew. When you get relegated the money gets tighter and you have to cut costs.

“It doesn’t just affect the players – but the whole club.”

Carson and Co travel to Goodison Park for the first phase of a double-header against top-six sides, with Arsenal due at the Hawthorns on Tuesday.

But having lost ‘winnable’ matches against Newcastle and Fulham in the last fortnight, Carson has played down suggestions that pressure will be lighter in forthcoming matches.

He said: “I wouldn’t say the pressure is off, because every time we go into a game now we need to try to win – there are only 12 left.”

He heads back to Merseyside expecting a hot reception from the home fans, thanks to his links with Liverpool.

Carson said: “Every ex-Liverpool player who goes to Everton will get a little stick – there’s nothing new there.”

Filipe Teixeira is touch and go for the Baggies with a painful fractured toe, while Leon Barnett is under pressure from Pele and Ryan Donk for his place after two nervous performances.

Stand-in captain Paul Robinson is still on standby to attend the birth of his third child, so could miss the game.