Albion coach Michael Appleton has lifted the lid on the agonies of defender Neil Clement’s battle to save his career.

Clement is facing a make-or-break month in his fight against his latest knee injury, with increasing signs that he could be forced to retire at the age of 31.

But a sympathetic Appleton, whose own career was ended at the age of 27 by a major knee injury, believes Clement will find it hard to admit defeat in his fight for fitness despite more than a year out of action.

The coach said: “I’ve been through everything that ‘Clem’ is going through. When you’ve been out for that long somewhere in the back of your mind you have prepared yourself for the worst case scenario. Somewhere in the back of his mind he will have prepared himself for the worst-case scenario.

“Neil will stay positive because he is a positive lad, similar to how I was, and will listen to every single word that’s said to him.

“Because if there is any slight hope a player will cling to that hope, even if it’s 20-80 against you, and I think the surgeon is almost the person who has to make the decision.”

Appleton is urging his former Hawthorns team-mate to follow him into coaching if his playing career is ended in the next few weeks.

He added: “If it was the worst case scenario I would tell Neil to stay in the game if he can.”