Blackburn Rovers are still managing Aynsley Pears after missing some of their sessions in Spain.
The goalkeeper flew out with the team having missed the first two matches of pre-season due to an ongoing hip issue. Pears trained with the group during the week but is still not 100% fit.
Nick Michalski started in goal at Accrington Stanley and has played 30 minutes in the following matches since Balazs Toth returned from his own niggles.
The England youth international has impressed Valerien Ismael's coaching staff and is firmly in competition with the other more senior goalkeepers.
Ismael hinted that whilst fitness played a factor, he wants to reward Michalski for his performances in training by keeping him in the fold.
"Yes (he's back) but he didn't train a lot with the team," Ismael told The Lancashire Telegraph on Pears.
"So I think that in the last five weeks he had, I think at the beginning, three sessions and then he was completely out. They (other GKs) train all the time.
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"So at some point, we have to reward the player who gives the hard work and the others need to have a catch-up to make sure they're on the same level."
It would have been interesting to see which goalkeeper got the nod for West Brom if both had been competing throughout pre-season. Pears has been the undisputed number one for the last two seasons but lost his place to Toth in the final six games of last season.
The Hungarian international was expected to retain that starting berth but given Pears' absence from all four friendlies, Toth is certainly in line to start at The Hawthorns.
Rovers avoided any injury issues whilst out in Spain which was a huge positive for Ismael. Lewis Travis is fine despite taking a whack in the closing stages against Elche.
Sidnei Tavares has been involved in training and will get some minutes against NEC Nijmegen next Saturday. The Portuguese midfielder has been unable to play any minutes so far after rolling his ankle.
Adam Forshaw and Hayden Carter are the only other senior players on the sidelines and will miss the start of the season.
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