West Brom's appeal relief as boss addresses Semi Ajayi blow and Karlan Grant absence

Central defender Ajayi, 31, pulled up with what appeared a hamstring injury for the second time this season late on in the first half of Saturday's 2-0 victory over Oxford.

It just the Nigerian's second appearance since returning from more than three months on the sidelines following surgery earlier in the season.

Albion await the outcome of scans on the severity of the centre-back's setback - but are at least boosted as influential vice-captain Bartley served the final of his three-match ban against the Yellows.

Bartley has been missing since his dismissal after full-time in the dramatic last-gasp win over Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month. Mowbray revealed the club considered appealing the defender's three-match ban for a raised arm to the Owls' Svante Ingelsson - but decided against in fear of a frivolous appeal resulting in an extra game ban.

Albion are now relieved they opted against that and can welcome Bartley back to face his former club at Elland Road next weekend.

"A scan as soon as he can, I would suggest," Mowbray said of Ajayi's setback. "It's tough for him.

"It's really frustrating, but it's done now, it looks like a hamstring, but the positive is Bartley's suspension is finished.

"We had considered appealing it, whether you thought it was a red card or not, but the decision was if you lose that and they add a game then we'd miss him for Leeds. It looks as if it's been a decent decision not to appeal it. Let's hope he has a good week's training and be ready for Elland Road."

The experienced Bartley had only returned from a month on the sidelines against Wednesday before his straight red card in the wake of Jayson Molumby's goal deep into stoppage time to sink the Owls.

He missed games against Blackburn, Millwall and Oxford, in which Mowbray's men claimed four points from a possible nine.

Everton loanee Mason Holgate replaced Ajayi with five minutes of the first half remaining against Oxford and defended well against a visiting side who created little of note.

Another Albion absentee on Saturday was attacker Karlan Grant, who missed out for the second time in three games with a chest infection. He sat out the defeat to Blackburn 10 days ago with the illness before making a return at Millwall, where he played the final half hour.

But Grant was missing again following another bout of the illness, confirmed the head coach. The forward, a bright light in the first half of Albion's season, has struggled to make an impact so far under Mowbray.

"It's strange. I haven't seen him," said Mowbray. "I get a call from the physio saying Grant's phoned in, his doctor's seen him and he's got a virus. He had a virus last week and he hadn't recovered fully from it. It's hit him again so he hasn't been in for a few days."