Ryan Mason insists his full focus is on Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship fixture at early table-toppers Stoke City (ko 12.30pm) and not the end of the summer transfer window.
The Baggies head to the bet365 Stadium this weekend determined to extend their unbeaten start to the league campaign, with Mason’s men sat on seven points from three matches.
Hosts Stoke are one of just two teams left in the division with a 100 per cent record having claimed triumphs over Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and, most recently, Southampton.
The transfer window shuts on Monday, but the boss is adamant it would be “wrong” of him to allow his attention to be on anything other than the battle against the Potters, which he describes as a “big challenge”.
Ryan said: “Everyone in the building is working towards tomorrow’s game at Stoke City, which is a big game.
“We’re looking forward to it and it’s a big challenge. Hopefully we can go and get a positive result and that’s the mindset and the focus inside the training ground today.
“Stoke have made a very good start. They’ve got a really good manager in Mark Robins. They’ve started the season really well, so we understand the task ahead.
“It’s going to be a difficult game and the atmosphere is going to be good. I know we’ve got a strong following going there on Saturday, so we’ll go there with the right mindset and compete to try and get a positive result.
“Stoke play with a lot of intensity, they’re well-organised and they’ve got some really good individual players. They’re in a good moment. When you win three in-a-row and you start the season so well it creates a good feeling. We’re in a good moment too, and we’ll attack the game too.
“We’ve had a relatively positive start to the season in terms of performances, although some of the results could’ve been better, but that happens in football. We’re going into the game tomorrow knowing the challenge ahead, but we’re optimistic and positive about putting in a performance which warrants a positive result.
“We know the end of the transfer window is coming up, but my focus is on Stoke City on Saturday. I can’t look three or four days ahead to the end of the window when we have a really important game coming up this weekend. It would be wrong of me to do that. My focus and energy is on the game.
“The touchline ban I have will bring its challenges and it will be different for the players, but at the same time, that can bring the group closer together.
“We know the intensity of an away game anyway – you need to stand up, compete and fight for each other. That will be no different tomorrow. I trust my staff to get that same message across. It will be different, but we’re not worried about that.
“I’ll miss being on the touchline and I wish it wasn’t the case. It’s happened and it’s something I have to accept and move on.”
