Albion manager Tony Mowbray believes the Ivory Coast World Cup stadium horror will have a mental impact on his defender Abdoulaye Meite.

The former Bolton centre-back is back in training with the Baggies, after playing in the World Cup qualifier that followed a stampede which killed 19 people.

Mowbray reckons events last weekend in Abidjan are bound to trouble the summer signing, who is physically fit and available to face Stoke at the Hawthorns.

The manager said: “I’ve spoken to him. He took part in a match where lots of people died. Will it have an effect on him? I’m pretty sure it will have done.

“But he’s a professional footballer and he has trained. He comes into work and tries to get his mind on to football.

“When he goes home I don’t know how it affects him, but outwardly he doesn’t seem to be giving any reasons for concern. But I’m sure he’ll be feeling it.”

The stampede, prior to the Ivory Coast’s 5-0 qualifying win over Malawi, left a reported 19 fans dead and more than 100 injured.

The match was allowed to proceed. Meite played for 86 minutes on his comeback from injury and illness.

But he looks set to remain on the sidelines, with the form of Shelton Martis and Jonas Olsson meaning Meite will not be rushed back into action after his troubled week.

Mowbray confirmed: “I’d suggest he probably won’t play, because the centre-halves we’ve got have done well recently and there’s no need for me to change it.”