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Slaven Bilic not planning to take risks with Charlie Austin after 'perfect' West Brom debut

Slaven Bilic will continue to tread carefully with Charlie Austin’s fitness after hailing the striker’s ‘perfect’ start at Albion.

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Charlie Austin in action. Pic: AMA.

Austin, a £4million deadline day signing from Southampton, opened his Baggies account with his first effort on target for the club in Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Millwall.

The 30-year-old was withdrawn on the hour mark, with Bilic later claiming it would have been ‘dangerous’ for him to have played any longer.

Austin did not feature in pre-season for the Saints prior to making the switch to the Baggies and the boss does not want to push a player who has a big part to play this term too hard, too soon.

Of the club’s other deadline day buys, Grady Diangana played 70 minutes, while Matheus Pereira was given the final half-hour. Chris Willock was an unused substitute.

“For the strikers, no matter what I say to them, it is always very good for them to open their account as soon as possible,” said Bilic.

“The start was perfect. He scored and he was lively. He is a player.

“Charlie did not play at all in pre-season. So I spoke to him before the game and it was a case of playing 45 minutes, or 60? He felt good, it was a night game, it was not hot, so 60 minutes was enough.

“Grady was the same. That was enough and it was the plan. It would have been dangerous to keep them out there longer. We did not want to do it but we put on good players in their place.”

Austin nodded home from a yard out after Millwall keeper Luke Steele could only turn Diangana’s shot onto the bar.

He yesterday tweeted: “They don’t come much easier than that on your debut, right place right time.”

Bilic has found plenty of encouragement in Albion’s performances but knows his team, who visit Luton on Saturday, need to improve in both boxes.

“If you go player by player you could find a lot of positives,” he said.

“But we were not good enough in our box and their box and that is the most important thing to be.”

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