Squad boost for Tony Mowbray

Mar 27 2008 By Bill Howell

THE show of strength on his training pitch during an international week has delighted Albion boss Tony Mowbray.

Only Bostjan Cesar, who faced Hungary last night, and Doheon Kim, who played for South Korea against North Korea in a World Cup qualifier in China, were absent.

Luke Moore was back at Albion yesterday after England Under-21 duty while Ishmael Miller had already returned to the club after picking up a minor groin injury.

Robert Koren, Zoltan Gera, Chris Brunt and Carl Hoefkens had either decided to stay at home for personal reasons or through injury, which also denied James Morrison a first Scotland call.

Mowbray said: "I don't think you can just decide to stay at home. You have to have a special relationship with your international manager to be able to explain the situation.

"The bottom line is that they were here, training with us, and that is a real positive for me and for the club."

Kim can probably expect to be left out of the starting side to face Colchester at the weekend because of his travel demands.