‘Brighter, sharper’ Berahino back from fat camp
West Brom forward Saido Berahino is close to making his return to action following fitness problems.
The 23-year-old has not played since September and last month the Baggies ruled he was unfit and overweight.
He was placed on a personal fitness regime and spent time in France in a bid to resolve his issues.
But Berahino has returned to full training and Tony Pulis is hopeful the striker is almost ready.
The boss said: “I had a good chat with Saido yesterday, he looks brighter and sharper.
“Fitness-wise we’re pleased, he’s getting there. The next step is to get him some games, which we’ll try and do over the next two weeks.
“There’s lots of good people who have spoken to him, the most important thing is Saido unravels who has given him good advice and bad advice.
“The demands and stresses on players are there for all to see. Sometimes players get caught out, but we’re all human beings, we all make mistakes.
“Saido’s been a player in demand ever since I’ve been here from other clubs and speculation has run with it. It’s been a saga.
“The most important thing is his football, he’s got a God-given gift, he’s got a lot of talent, and he’s got to exploit that and get the best out of his talent.
“Over the past year or so that’s not happened.
Back in training, feeling sharp, feeling strong and looking forward to the weekend! 💪🏽⚽️👊🏽#Tekkers pic.twitter.com/DxhWGa4Q8g
— Saido Berahino (@SBerahino) November 15, 2016
“He’s got to work out why that hasn’t happened and get back to playing again and enjoying football.”
The Baggies host Burnley in the Premier League on Monday. Berahino is unlikely to feature he may return when they travel to Hull on November 26.
“He’s trained this week and he’s trained well but he needs games,” he said. “We’ll take every game as it comes. He’s looked sharper, mentally a lot clearer, and let’s hope he stays that well.”
Pulis could also be without Nacer Chadli, who had a minor knee operation earlier this month, but Salomon Rondon is fit after a hamstring issue.