Tony Mowbray is making no excuses

Mar 20 2008 By Chris Lepkowski

TONY Mowbray has no plans to use next week's international break as an excuse for any subsequent poor performances.

The Baggies are expected to lose a number of players for the friendly fixtures.

Ishmael Miller and Luke Moore have been called up for England Under-21 duty against Poland.

Subject to fitness, Albion could also lose James Morrison, who is expected to play for Scotland, and Northern Ireland's Chris Brunt.

Zoltan Gera could also be called up for Hungary against Slovenia, although Robert Koren will ask to withdraw from the squad.

But Mowbray accepts losing players for international duty is part of the game.

"You can't pull people out of friendlies because you are governed by international rules," said Mowbray, who hopes to have Carl Hoefkens back for the tomorrow's game at the Valley.

"I generally leave things like that to players because it's a great honour.

"The players understand the importance of the next few games to us. But if they get called up and want to go I don't have a problem with that.

"I'll try not to make an excuse of it."

Mowbray admits he may have to juggle his squad as the games start coming thick and fast. He has recently lost three players - Hoefkens, Brunt and Leon Barnett - to hamstring strains, with Craig Beattie's tear, during his loan spell at Preston, ending his season.

"There are physical and mental sides to football," added Mowbray.

"The mental side will look after itself if we can get back to winning.

"But the physical side is a concern because there are bits of fatigue, whether it is trying to hard or playing a bit tense."