Chris Brunt hopes Albion will not be left in pieces when Jonathan ‘Jigsaw’ Greening returns.

The Fulham midfielder and former Baggies captain earned the unwanted nickname from his ex-Albion team mates for his lack of first-team goals.

And Brunt is hoping Greening will not bring his scoring boots when he makes his first appearance at the Hawthorns tomorrow since leaving for Craven Cottage 14 months ago.

“Jonno had loads of nicknames,” joked Brunt. “Jigsaw was one of them – because he goes to pieces in the box.

“He used to score hundreds of goals in training every week and then, when Saturday came, he would never score.

“That name stuck for a while and I don’t think he was too happy with it.”

Greening is in line for a rare start for the Cottagers tomorrow in place of the injured Dickson Etuhu.

The 31-year-old has already pledged not to celebrate should he find the net against his former employers, but Brunt does not expect him to face the dilemma.

The Northern Ireland international joked: “Jonno? It would be strange if he crossed the halfway line!

“It’s always the way that people come back to their old clubs and get chances and I’m sure he will be trying his best to score.

“But I’m not sure I would be putting my money on him to be first goalscorer.”

Greening is not the only Albion old-boy heading for a reunion tomorrow with Zoltan Gera and Diomansy Kamara also in the Fulham squad.

And, while he joined the club after Kamara’s departure, Brunt has happy memories of sharing a dressing room with Greening and Gera and watching the duo targeted by the Baggies’ pranksters.

“The dressing room is probably a smarter place without them,” he joked. “It’s a more intelligent place.

“Jonno was usually on the receiving end of the practical jokes because he was such an easy target. I saw ‘Zolly’ have a few things done to him, usually about his clothes because he did have terrible ones.

“They were two big personalities and good players for the club.

“It was sad to see them go but we have had to move on. It will be nice to see them come back.

“I know Zolly got a good reception last time he came back and I’m sure Jonno will get the same.

“I spoke to Jonno by text a couple of weeks ago. There is only really me, James Morrison and Roman Bednar left from the season that Zolly was here as well.”

Brunt will also go head-to-head with two international team-mates tomorrow as Albion look to extend an unbeaten home league record that stretches back to January.

And he is expecting a tough test from a Fulham side he reckons could be role models for the Baggies as the look to consolidate their Premier League place.

“I think Lawrie Sanchez signed four Northern Ireland players when he first went there but there is only Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird there now,” said Brunt.

“They have both been playing regularly so that could be interesting. Obviously they’ve got a good side and they are an established Premier League club now.

“That’s the sort of level we would like to get to in the next few years. We are delighted to be where we are after the first four away games.

“I don’t think anybody had us pencilled in for any points from them, so to have four points from those games means we are delighted.

“Now we need to keep our home form going. We’re unbeaten since the first week in January at the Hawthorns and it’s important we keep that going because that’s where we are going to get our points to stay up this season.

“It’s been a good start but we’re not even a quarter of the way through yet.

“It’s important we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”