Donk set for debut

Dutch defender could feature against Boro

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 25th September 2008

Donk set for debut

Donk: Loan star

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West Brom boss Tony Mowbray could hand a debut to Ryan Donk at Middlesbrough this weekend.

The 22-year-old Dutchman has made just one reserve team appearance since arriving on loan from AZ Alkmaar and only made the bench for Sunday's derby date with Aston Villa after Abdoulaye Meite sustained an injury in the warm-up.

However, with regular centre-half Leon Barnett having an afternoon to forget against the Villans, Donk is now set to be given an opportunity to shine at the Riverside.

Mowbray, though, has been quick to reassure Barnett that he remains an integral part of his plans.

Assets

"Let's wait and see," the Baggies boss told the Birmingham Mail.

"The reason he (Donk) hasn't played is because he has these wonderful assets of speed and mobility, he is decent with the ball and yet he is still a little bit in a Dutch mentality of playing football.

"You would expect that from him only being in the building a couple of weeks and having played one reserve game.

"He (Barnett) was instrumental in us getting a good result up at Bolton in a game we could have won.

"I am happy with his progress. It is a progression in his career. He was playing for Luton at the bottom end of the Championship against Birmingham the last time we went to watch him.

Progression

"Here he is now playing against some of the best players in the world in the Premier League - the step has been huge in such a short time.

"You have to understand it is a progression, he is going through a learning curve and a steep one.

"Without being brutal on him, that hurt the team a little bit on Sunday and if everything was as it was he wasn't going to play.

''He would have been sat next to me watching and learning with me saying to him 'see the way Meite uses his body, see the way Meite steps in, that's what you do. Don't stand behind him because he is too big as he holds you off and you can't get the ball'.

"If they are good players they take it in."