Express & Star

Berahino insists he is not taking legal action over dressing room bust-up

Saido Berahino has issued a statement insisting he is not taking legal action over his dressing room bust-up.

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The young forward was understood to be considering action against the player – widely reported to be midfielder James Morrison – who struck him during an angry post-match clash.

Berahino was left with a minor head injury after being struck when tempers flared in the dressing room in the wake of Saturday's 3-3 draw with Cardiff.

Reports had earlier indicated the 20-year-old was considering his legal options after being left unhappy with a perceived lack of strong action by the club.

But the striker has now claimed he will not be taking any action.

"I am not taking legal action against any team-mate. I am only focussing on Saturday's game at Norwich," he said in a statement posted by Albion.

Sporting & Technical Director, Richard Garlick, added: "As we stated on Tuesday, the Club has drawn a line under the matter.

"We have seven important games coming up and Saido, along with the rest of the squad, has a big part to play in them."

Berahino signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract worth around £15,000-per-week in November.

His attitude and form since signing the money-spinning new deal has upset team-mates who were also concerned about the youngster's close friendship with striker Nicolas Anelka, who was sacked by the Baggies for gross misconduct over his controversial 'quenelle' goal celebration.

They had expressed concerns about his attitude as a youth-team player but had been encouraged by improvements last summer and at the start of this season, when he burst onto the first-team scene with a Capital One Cup hat-trick and a Premier League goal at Old Trafford.

However, Berahino's ill-judged pass in stoppage-time that started the move which led to the Cardiff equaliser was the final straw and sparked frank exchanges in the dressing room.

Experienced players are thought to have been upset at the England Under-21 striker's initial refusal to accept responsibility for the goal, although he later did so on Twitter.

A heated argument with one team-mate then led to a physical altercation with another – reportedly Morrison – which saw Berahino struck.

Other players broke up the incident and the club issued a statement insisting they had "drawn a line" under the matter.

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