[h=3]Albion pair on the comeback trail (updated)[/h] 8:53am Friday 17th January 2014 in Albion By Andy Naylor
Sunderland target Will Buckley could be fit for Albion's FA Cup trip to Port Vale.
Injured Albion duo Will Buckley and Craig Mackail-Smith are creeping closer to comebacks.
Buckley could be fit for the FA Cup tie at Port Vale a week tomorrow after suffering further hamstring trouble at Blackpool at the end of December.
The winger attracted a £1.75 million bid from Sunderland at the beginning of the January transfer window.
Mackail-Smith has been training with the youth team and has told The Argus he is around four weeks away from a return to first team action.
The striker has been out for ten months due to a ruptured Achilles and broken ankle sustained during his recovery.
He was involved in part of the first team training session at The Amex this morning morning before the squad travelled to Derby.
Mackail-Smith said: "It's nice to be back involved with the boys. I did probably threequarters of the session. I came out when it got a bit more intense and did my own running.
"It's the first step. I have got a bit more intensive stuff to do with the development squad and I will be fed in and out of the first team, getting stronger and getting more used to training."
Mackail-Smith's session included scoring a goal, which was greeted with a cheer by his team-mates.
"We have a lot of banter in the dressing room but they go off and train and I go off with the youth team or into the gym, so it has been hard missing that side of it,"
he said.
"It put a smile on my face when I put the ball in the back of the net and everyone started cheering."
Mackail-Smith is hoping to make his comeback in the development squad later this month.
Original article
Injured Albion duo Will Buckley and Craig Mackail-Smith are creeping closer to comebacks.
Buckley could be fit for the FA Cup tie at Port Vale a week tomorrow after suffering further hamstring trouble at Blackpool at the end of December.
The winger attracted a £1.75 million bid from Sunderland at the beginning of the January transfer window.
Mackail-Smith has been training with the youth team and has told The Argus he is around four weeks away from a return to first team action.
The striker has been out for ten months due to a ruptured Achilles and broken ankle sustained during his recovery.
He was involved in part of the first team training session at The Amex this morning morning before the squad travelled to Derby.
Mackail-Smith said: "It's nice to be back involved with the boys. I did probably threequarters of the session. I came out when it got a bit more intense and did my own running.
"It's the first step. I have got a bit more intensive stuff to do with the development squad and I will be fed in and out of the first team, getting stronger and getting more used to training."
Mackail-Smith's session included scoring a goal, which was greeted with a cheer by his team-mates.
"We have a lot of banter in the dressing room but they go off and train and I go off with the youth team or into the gym, so it has been hard missing that side of it,"
he said.
"It put a smile on my face when I put the ball in the back of the net and everyone started cheering."
Mackail-Smith is hoping to make his comeback in the development squad later this month.
Original article