International breaks

International weeks are strange times at football clubs.

There's hardly anyone around and those players who do come in give the impression of kids who are hauled in for extra lessons during the holidays.

It's something they've got to do while the others get to travel the world in the name of their country.

Abdoulaye Meite is one of those away. He played for Ivory Coast in the desperately tragic game against Malawi where 22 people were crushed by a wall and a stampede. Goodness knows what frame of mind he will be in. Chris Brunt, Robert Koren, James Morrison are among those also absent, although Brunt won't play this week having picked up a one-game ban.

Elsewhere, Tony Mowbray had plenty to say.

There were interesting comments about the futures of Fortune and Simpson, not to mention his observations about a certain other player who has been keeping Albion's scouting network busy - all of which you can read about in Tuesday's Birmingham Mail.

And a lot more.

He hasn't given up on this season.

But I hazard a guess that this Saturday's game against Stoke City is surely the biggest Albion have played at this level since Portsmouth on the last day of the 2004/05 season?

Like everyone else, I suspect Mowbray will just be glad to have proper football back on the agenda.