Albion chief Gus Poyet has praised comeback kid Lewis Dunk and is ready to reward him by keeping him in the side.

Dunk returned from a six-match absence for Tuesday’s 2-0 home victory against Derby County.

The 20-year-old centre-half is poised to keep his place at Nottingham Forest tomorrow, even though Adam El-Abd has recovered from the virus which sidelined him from Derby’s visit.

Dunk had been left out of both the team and the squad since the 6-1 FA Cup exit at Liverpool, where he scored a bizarre own goal.

Poyet told The Argus: “It’s not easy, because with his new system of five on the bench you are in the stand, the next game you are on the pitch and maybe next game you are in the stand again.

“It’s very easy for the manager to ask you to be ready but it is very difficult for the player to be ready, especially when you are out of the squad for five or six games in a row. You need to jump in and perform.

“It would be easier for him and better to play week in, week out, because that means you are game fit and you know what is coming, but he did well, he did what we expect him to do.

“He was very good in the air, very good on the ball, so I was pleased. The clean sheet was important.”

Albion’s third home shut-out in succession leaves Dunk in pole position to partner captain Gordon Greer at the City Ground, with the versatile El-Abd likely to dislodge Romain Vincelot from the sub’s bench.

Poyet said: “Now he (Dunk) has got a chance to play on Saturday. Now the one who has got a problem is Adam, because of illness.

“It’s a decision. It will depend on how we are going to play the game and what I think about Nottingham Forest.”

Poyet expects Sam Vokes (severe cramp) and Gai Assulin (groin) to be available for selection but El-Abd’s fellow virus victim Will Buckley could be missing again.