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Ridgewell hopes Foster move can be permanent Defender Liam Ridgewell wants West Brom to try and make goalkeeper Ben Foster's loan move from Birmingham permanent.

Ridgewell has first-hand knowledge of Foster's qualities from their spell together at Birmingham.

The former Manchester United player helped Blues win the Carling Cup 12 months ago before making the temporary switch to the Hawthorns last summer on a season-long loan.

But Ridgewell, who moved to the Baggies from St Andrew's last month for an undisclosed fee, hopes it can become a long-term deal.

Ridgewell said: "I hope Albion do pursue it. For us to push forward we need some top quality players and Ben is certainly one of those.

"Transfer policy is nothing to do with me but Ben is a good keeper and it would be good to have him permanently.

"Even at Birmingham, Ben was a fantastic keeper. He is quality and it's a pleasure to play in front of him.

"He is up there with the best. We had Joe Hart at Blues before Ben and the two are not dissimilar in their stature, the way they play." West Brom have received a fitness boost ahead of Saturday's home clash with Sunderland with skipper Chris Brunt back in training for the first time since suffering a fractured ankle on New Year's Day.

Head coach Roy Hodgson believes Brunt could be available for next weekend's encounter with crisis club Chelsea at the Hawthorns.

Hodgson said: "Chris Brunt has only trained twice and has only really trained once with the team, which was Friday.

"There was never really any chance of Chris Brunt being considered for this game.

"But he's certainly well within his schedule and the prognosis the medical people set, so that is a positive. Yes, he might have a chance for the Chelsea game.

"Once he gets back into training, trains fully for a week and has no reaction to the ankle that was operated on, then there is no reason he shouldn't be considered." Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill will have no qualms about sending striker Fraizer Campbell away on England duty despite his recent injury nightmare.

Indeed, the Ulsterman will wave the 24-year-old off under orders to make the most of his dream call-up just weeks after his return from an 18-month lay-off.

Campbell will join up with caretaker manager Stuart Pearce's squad for next Wednesday night's friendly clash with Holland after the Black Cats' Barclays Premier League trip to West Brom tomorrow, and while O'Neill will be keeping his fingers crossed that he, like all the club's international players, returns unscathed, he will have no particular concerns.

He said: "If he is okay and he is well within himself at the moment, then why not avail yourself of this opportunity? "It's a chance for him, it's a chance that he wouldn't have expected. It's a chance that he wouldn't have dreamt about five or six or seven weeks ago.

"From that viewpoint while it's there, I don't think he could go back and say to them, 'I'll not take this opportunity'.

"Go for it, go and enjoy it. If you get on the field of play, that's a massive bonus, but just being around quality players in the England set-up, he couldn't ask for a bigger boost.

"Stuart Pearce is well aware of his injury history and just for him to be around the squad is great.

"If he gets on the field, it will be fantastic. I wouldn't expect too much, and I am sure that Fraizer wouldn't be expecting too much.

"Just to have a couple of days there, a different environment being involved with the squad, it's a massive boost for him, a really, really big boost.

"Knowing Fraizer, he will treat it in the right way too." Sunderland head for the Hawthorns having dumped Arsenal out of the FA Cup last weekend to extend their run to just three defeats in O'Neill's 15 games to date.

Striker Nicklas Bendtner could figure wearing a protective facial mask after missing out against his parent club under the terms of his loan agreement, although O'Neill will be taking nothing for granted against a side which routed derby rivals Wolves 5-1 on their own pitch last time out.

West Brom vs Sunderland

Last modified 17:27 25/02/12

Four-star Baggies tame Black Cats Peter Odemwingie's double helped West Brom clinch their first home win in three months as they overpowered below-par Sunderland in a 4-0 Barclays Premier League win at the Hawthorns.

Odemwingie followed up his hat-trick against Wolves with another impressive performance with James Morrison and Keith Andrews the other Baggies marksmen.

Roy Hodgson's side, who had collected only one point from their previous six home games, dominated against the previously on-song Black Cats.

Odemwingie looks full of confidence, in contrast to the injury-hit player who has struggled for much of the campaign, despite playing in a wide role.

Central striker Marc-Antoine Fortune was also a key player with his hold-up play while Morrison had another effective game in midfield. But Albion controlled all departments and snapped away at the challenges in midfield, not allowing Martin O'Neill's side to settle.

O'Neill, who is 60 on Thursday, will hope this is a one-off performance after transforming Sunderland's fortunes and only Craig Gardner posed any sort of goal threat.

Odemwingie needed only three minutes to break the deadlock. Youssouf Mulumbu supplied a teasing cross from the left of the Sunderland box and Odemwingie got in front of Kieran Richardson to send his glancing header past Simon Mignolet.

It was the Nigerian international's nine goal of the campaign.

Albion dominated possession and midfielder Andrews tested Mignolet with a dipping drive.

It was 26 minutes before the visitors had their first shot on goal and then Gardner dragged his low drive well wide.

Albion continued to play with purpose and Mignolet turned aside a Jonas Olsson header from a Steven Reid free-kick. Then Mignolet parried a curling Morrison attempt after a period of neat one-touch football.

But Albion's perseverance paid off with Morrison doubling their lead after 41 minutes.

The Scotland international was perfectly placed to head home a fine cross from Jerome Thomas from close range with the Sunderland defence at sixes and sevens.

O'Neill made a double half-time switch with new England recruit Fraizer Campbell and fellow striker Nicklas Bendtner, who was playing with a face mask, replacing Kieran Richardson and Jack Colback.

The Black Cats were now playing three up front and Albion keeper Ben Foster clung onto a low drive from Gardner.

But their bold policy left them prone to being caught on the counter-attack and after 49 minutes Odemwingie put Albion 3-0 ahead.

Foster's quick throw out to Morrison left Albion in a two versus two attacking position and they took full advantage. Morrison picked out the run of Fortune who squared the ball across the box to Odemwingie who made no mistake with a low drive.

Thomas came close to making it 4-0 when he cut inside and saw his curling attempt hit the crossbar.

Gardner was the only player posing a threat for Sunderland and a swerving shot hit the body of Foster. Albion continued to look more menacing and Michael Turner cleared a goal-bound shot from Fortune.

Reid then produced a superb block tackle to halt Stephane Sessegnon as he prepared to shoot inside the West Brom box.

John O'Shea became the first player to be yellow carded for a challenge on Morrison. Graham Dorrans was also booked a minute later for a mis-timed tackle on Phil Bardsley Andrews made it 4-0 in injury-time with a curling shot after good play between Morrison and Dorrans teed up the chance.