Steven Reid backs stance on Peter Odemwingie

Odemwingie hopes to return to training this week after being stood down from yesterday's defeat to Tottenham following his attempts to force a move to Queens Park Rangers.

But the forward's Twitter rants and demands for a transfer upset his team-mates and Reid offered a lukewarm response when asked if the 31-year-old will be welcomed back.

"We'll have to see and it's up to the club how they deal with it," said Reid.

"But if it does happen I'm sure we'll get on with it and there might come a point in the campaign when he's needed."

Reid offered a veiled criticism of Odemwingie's actions but insisted the Baggies squad will not be destabilised by the saga.

"It's not the way I'd go about doing things and I'm sure it's not the way a lot of other lads would but these things happen in football," said Reid.

"We've got a strong enough group to deal with incidents like that.

"Maybe that group wasn't as strong when I first joined but it is now and maybe that's why we're in the position we are in in the league."

Meanwhile, Reid revealed his frustrations with fellow full-back Goran Popov after his red card for spitting in yesterday's 1-0 loss to Tottenham.

"He's apologised and he's let us down so what can I say?" said Reid.

"He's got a suspension now and we've got Liam Ridgewell to come in and fill that gap."

Reid made his first start since breaking a bone in his leg at Arsenal in December 8 but was disappointed to end the day on the losing side.

"It's obviously difficult to come back after a broken leg and it was always going to be a tough game but on the first-half performance we felt we could get something out of the game," he said.

"It was a great first half and we had a couple of good chances with Shane Long and I think Romelu Lukaku had a couple of half-chances.

"At the start of the second half we shot ourselves in the foot and we were up against it with ten men against a team with the pace and power of Tottenham."