Albion are bracing themselves for another injury blow in the battle to beat the drop.

They expect Richard Carpenter to be sidelined for several weeks with the calf injury which forced him out of last Saturday's home defeat by Watford during the warm-up.

Carpenter had a scan yesterday and manager Mark McGhee revealed: "Malcolm Stuart (physio) fears it will be three or four weeks.

"Chippy thinks it might go back to a kick he had at Norwich last Tuesday and it just never blew up until the warm-up.

"He had been fine in training."

Losing Carpenter, 33, is another setback to a squad already short of experience for the relegation run-in in the long-term absences of Charlie Oatway (ankle) and Jason Dodd (back).

Carpenter's injury means Kerry Mayo is likely to stay in the centre of the park at rock-bottom Crewe on Saturday.

Mayo was due to play at leftback against Watford but was switched to the midfield role he adopted both at Norwich and at Southampton last month when Carpenter pulled out.

"Kerry played as well as anyone on Saturday," McGhee said. "I thought he did the job well."

Seb Carole continues to be troubled by an ankle injury but the Frenchman should be fit for the Crewe game.

Meanwhile, the hunt for a striker goes on and Albion will have been alerted by long-time target Neil Shipperley's exclusion from the Sheffield United squad for their derby win at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.