JAMES Morrison and Graham Dorrans are edging back towards fitness, according to Albion coach Michael Appleton.

Morrison was forced out of Saturday’s win against Liverpool after suffering a thigh injury during a training session.

He is expected to resume training later this week and should be fit for the game at Sunderland.

Dorrans, meanwhile, has been out of action for a month after twisting his ankle during the final training session before Albion’s win at Blues.

He is making good progress but will not be fit for the north-east trip.

Appleton praised Simon Cox, who replaced Morrison in Saturday’s victory.

“It’s difficult when you’ve been out of the side for a while and you’re coming into a big game, in terms of everything that was going on around it with the gaffer,” he said.

“He’ll have been desperate to impress because he has not played much football. He played the supporting role well.

“A lot of the time you don’t see a lot of the stuff he does off the ball – the runs he makes and space he creates for other people.”