No pain no gain for Jerome Thomas
Tuesday 26th October 2010, 4:00PM BST.
Albion winger Jerome Thomas admits he will have to play through the pain this season to help the Baggies establish their Premier League place.
Thomas is fit again after calf trouble but is likely to be rested for tonight’s Carling Cup tie at Leicester.
But the 27-year-old believes injuries will always be an occupational hazard because of his style of play.
He said: “It is going to happen. I get fouled a lot and take a few knocks, so I’m sure I will carry on having a few aches and pains. But I just need to keep getting minutes on the pitch.
“I was tired in the second-half on Saturday after being out for a couple of weeks, but hopefully that will stand me in good stead for the Blackpool game.”
Thomas is confident the Baggies have enough quality players to step in for injured team mates.
He said: “You need competition. It’s a good thing. Graham Dorrans, who was one of our best players last year, can’t even get in the team at the moment.
“That just shows you how well everyone is performing. We need that competition to give everyone a push.”
The winger saluted the “fearless” approach from Albion to the opening weeks of the season.
He said: “We’ve got a confident bunch of lads. We’ve got some great young players and I keep using the word ‘fearless,’ which I think describes them best.
“We are not worried when we play big teams. Everyone is confident. You have to enjoy this.
“The gaffer will play it down and that’s his job, but you have to be happy and enjoy these moments when they happen. But we will soon be focusing on Blackpool.
“We all enjoy training and we know how important that aspect is. You can’t just turn up on the day and expect perform.
“Everything we practise in training is put into effect in the games and it’s just a case of carrying on doing it now.
“We can’t afford to rest on our laurels and start relaxing or getting complacent because we know there that will put us.
“We just have to carry on doing what we’re doing.”
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