West Brom 1, Osasuna 1: Match report
Aug 9 2010 By Chris Lepkowski
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Chris Brunt in action.
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Juanfran and Jerome Thomas battle for the ball.
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Jonas Olsson jumps with keeper Nacho Zabal.
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Echaide and Jerome Thomas in action.
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Roman Bednar defends himself from keeper Nacho Zabal and Roversio.
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Ishmael Miller and Roversio leap for the ball.
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Walter Pandiani and Jonas Olsson in action.
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Youssouf Mulumbu and Walter Pandiani in action.
AND so Chelsea await. What Roberto Di Matteo didn’t need, or want, was to see a succession of players succumb to injuries against Osasuna.
The result was, as in all friendlies, fairly irrelevant.
More worryingly were the number of walking wounded after the game.
Pablo Ibanez started the trend when he limped out of the warm-up with a hamstring strain.
And it was downhill from there, with Gabriel Tamas, Marek Cech and Graham Dorrans all needing treatment by the time game had ended.
Dorrans needs a scan on an injured groin, which will almost certainly keep him out of Scotland’s friendly.
The arrival of Nicky Shorey will help matters this week – he should sign today – and the Baggies still aim to bring in two more before the end of this week.
In terms of where Albion are, Saturday showed a sharpness and precision we’d not yet seen during pre-season.
