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Tony Pulis insists Nacer Chadli is no Saido Berahino as West Brom star visits specialist doctor 'Healing Hans'

Tony Pulis has assured Albion fans that Nacer Chadli's spell on the sidelines is completely different to Saido Berahino's demise last season as the Belgian undergoes specialist treatment in Germany.

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Nacer Chadli. (AMA)

Record signing Chadli is having a pre-planned injection in his back this week from celebrity sports doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, famed for working with unusual medical ingredients such as calves' blood.

Although he is due to return to training on Saturday morning, it means he is a doubt for Monday night's trip to Leicester.

Chadli is yet to play a minute of Premier League football this season after refusing to go on Pulis's pre-season training camp to Austria.

This time last year, Berahino was also seeing specialists in Europe to deal with his physical and mental well-being before it emerged he was serving an eight-week drugs ban.

But Pulis dismissed suggestions there was anything more to Chadli's absence and insists he wants to get the Belgian in his first team.

"It’s totally different to Saido," he said. "He’s gone to see Wohlfahrt in Germany and we’re happy with it. It’s all been agreed and sorted out.

"We’re disappointed he can’t come straight back but once he has the injection we expect him to be a lot looser in his lower back and we think that will improve the chances of keeping him fit."

Muller-Wohlfahrt is a renowned sports docter known as 'Healing Hans'.

He was Bayern Munich's doctor for 40 years and has worked with a litany of top sports starts through the years such as Usain Bolt, Boris Becker, and Pep Guardiola.

It's understood Chadli's treatment is just the latest in a long line of injections he has had to loosen up his back, and has nothing to do with the 90 minutes he completed in Beligum's 4-0 win over Cyprus on Tuesday or the hamstring injury he's suffered this season.

"You have to speak to the doc medically to ask why this injection helps him but he’s had it before when he was at Tottenham two or three times," revealed Pulis.

"It has loosened up the problem which causes the muscular injuries he gets sometimes.

"We won't see Chadli until Saturday morning so when he comes back we'll have a look, we'll assess it.

Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt

"I think he could play (on Monday) but it's just what state he's going to be in. It would be lovely to have him in the team, but unfortunately we've not been able to do that so far."

Chadli hasn't featured much this season but Pulis confirmed he was happy for him to get the full 90 minutes against Cyprus on Tuesday night.

"We felt the 90 minutes was important for him," he said. "That was no problem."

Hal Robson-Kanu and James Morrison are also doubts for Monday's game with Leicester after picking up muscle strains on international duty.

Salomon Rondon has been given an extra two days off to spend time with his family in South America following his games with Venezuela, and like Chadli, will return to training on Saturday.