Albion hit as keeper Ben Foster faces more surgery

Albion keeper Ben Foster is facing a second operation on his injured groin – and Jonas Olsson and Youssouf Mulumbu were today having fitness tests ahead of tomorrow's trip to Swansea.

Boss Steve Clarke was today speaking to Baggies medical staff about Foster but the Hawthorns No.1 is expected to travel to Germany in the next few days for a second operation in less than a month. That would keep him sidelined for at least another fortnight.

And Olsson and Mulumbu were due to train today before Clarke decided whether they were fit to travel to the Liberty Stadium for tomorrow's Premier League clash.

Clarke said today: "Jonas felt some pain at Sunderland on Saturday at the bottom of his calf.

"He will go out today and train outside and we will see how he is after that.

"Youssouf Mulumbu will also be outside with us and will give it a go.

"So we will see how those two come through training. The only one we are definitely without as it stands is Ben Foster.

"Everyone else will be outside, trying to show they are fit. Everybody wants to be in the team at the moment.

"There's a great desire for all of the players to be involved in how we're playing."

Foster will again miss out after having fresh surgery on the groin injury that has kept him sidelined since the Hawthorns win against Southampton on November 5.

The Baggies will head for south Wales tomorrow looking to extend their stunning start to the season, which took them to third in the Premier League after 13 matches.

Their 13-game record is their best in the top flight since the 1953-54 season, when one of their legendary teams finished second in the First Division and won the FA Cup.

And they will be looking to win five successive top-division matches for the first time since Ron Atkinson's team of 1978-79.

Clarke said today: "I try to keep my feet on the ground.

"The Premier League is difficult league.

"We have had a fantastic run and we are in a good place at the moment, but we're not even into December yet and there is a long way to go for anyone to be getting carried away."