Express & Star

Peter Odemwingie warned of a rough ride to come

West Brom captain Chris Brunt today warned want-away Peter Odemwingie he faces a "rough time" if he stays at the Hawthorns past transfer deadline day.

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Brunt backed the Baggies' tough stance over Odemwingie's transfer request and admitted the striker had put himself in a "difficult position" with his Twitter rants against the club and fans.

Albion were today awaiting any fresh contact from Loftus Road while boss Steve Clarke was weighing up possible last-minute midfield reinforcements after George Thorne suffered a potentially serious knee injury in last night's 2-1 defeat at Everton.

Odemwingie's team-mates are known to be furious after his angry statement and subsequent tweets demanding a move to QPR, who have had bids worth £2.5m and £3m rejected.

Brunt said: "It's not something we want to be involved in and I'm sure deep down it's not something Peter wants to be involved in either.

"He's contracted to West Brom and if the club don't get what they see as fair value for him, why should they sell him?

"He's one of our best players and somebody who, on his day, can make something happen for us.

"It's a difficult situation for everybody.

"I'm sure nobody would have wanted it to come to this, but there's a lot of player power in this day and age. He's obviously not happy here but there's not much we can do about that now. It's disappointing it's turned out like this because he's a talented boy and we would like to have him here. He has put himself in a difficult situation."

And Brunt admitted Odemwingie faces a rough ride from Baggies fans if he stays and figures in Sunday's clash with Tottenham.

"Fans are fans for a reason," said Brunt. "They love the club and follow us everywhere and some of the statements have not been great reading for West Brom fans. If he plays we would want them to be supportive but it's a difficult situation for everybody.

"If he plays it will benefit us, but he's probably in for a rough time."

Meanwhile, Albion were set to assess Thorne today after he left the field at Goodison Park on a stretcher after twisting awkwardly.

The club's medics fear possible ligament damage and a potentially lengthy lay-off, which Clarke admitted could force him into a last-minute hunt for a replacement today.

Match report – Page 55

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