Gilchrist pins hope on needle

West Brom defender Phil Gilchrist is undergoing a series of injections he hopes will hasten his recovery from a knee injury.

The 29-year-old missed the final half-dozen games of last season after suffering a torn patella tendon.

Gilchrist said: “It’s a course of injections in my knee which encourage the healing process.

“Fingers crossed it’ll start feeling better after the first one but it may be a longer process.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt I’ll be fit for the start of the season but this treatment will determine whether I’m fit for the start of pre-season,” he told Albion’s official website, www.wba.co.uk.