Youssouf Mulumbu '100 per cent fit' for West Brom

Youssouf Mulumbu today declared himself '100 per cent fit' to rejoin Albion's Premier League survival fight and insisted he is itching to prove himself to boss Tony Pulis.

The 28-year-old is back with the Baggies after his African Cup of Nations campaign was DR Congo was wrecked by injury.

But he insists he has fully recovered and is targeting a place on the substitutes' bench for Saturday's trip to Sunderland.

"I am fit, 100 per cent," said Mulumbu, who has yet to figure in a Pulis team.

"I can start training now and am so looking forward to training under the new manager. I am looking forward to showing him who Youssouf Mulumbu is.

"He might know me from videos and stuff but it's going to be different when I train with him.

"And now the team is doing really good. I want to fight for my position. I'm just excited about the rest of the seasob. It is a good and new challenge for me.

"After injury, maybe I can come back, get on the bench and from there show what you can do and aim to keep my place in the team until the end of the season.

"But at the moment, the team is doing really good and we need to keep this momentum. I am fighting to get on the bench for the game against Sunderland.

"I have been out for a month with injury and I just can't wait to get out on the pitch."

Mulumbu spoke of his pride after DRC finished a best ever third in the African Cup of Nations.

[comments_cta text="How important is Youssouf Mulumbu ?"]

But injury prevented the international captain playing as significant a role as he would have liked and that could now work to his club's benefit.

Mulumbu flew to the tournament after Albion's new head coach had watched him play in the New Year's Day draw at West Ham - the final game before Pulis formally took charge.

Mulumbu's tournament out in Equatorial Guinea was hit by knee and groin injuries and he admitted: "The injuries were hard for me to take out there.

"When I get injured playing for the club, I know the treatment is good and when I am going to come back.

"But out there it was 'maybe you're going to play the quarter' and 'maybe you're going to play the semi-final.'

"That was hard because you are part of the team but you can't do anything; you feel useless. It is football but that was hard for me."