West Bromwich Albion play their opening away fixture at Nottingham Forest tomorrow with Roberto Di Matteo confident his side can be as impressive on their travels as MK Dons last season.

Di Matteo’s former side won 14 away games, drawing five times and losing just four times. They finished the season with the second best away record, but missed out on automatic promotion due to a slightly inferior home record.

Di Matteo said: “Last year my team had the best away record in the league so let’s hope that continues at West Bromwich.

“I don’t really want to reveal the secret. Every game is important away or at home, but you need to pick up points away wherever you can.

“I don’t set targets in terms of points but we have our main goal, which is promotion, and we will work day by day and game by game towards that goal.

“I will take it game by game and try to do the best we can in every game.

“Everybody knows more or less what you need to go up but I’m not going to say ‘we need this amount of points’, I’m going to try to win every game.”

Jerome Thomas, whose free transfer from Portsmouth should be completed today, will not be involved due to a lack of fitness after a hamstring injury.

The 26-year-old had suffered from injuries during the last 12 months, including a spine problem.

But Di Matteo believes the player will add class to Albion’s squad.

“I think he will bring width to the team,” Di Matteo said. “He is an orthodox winger with pace.

“He is good on the ball and he has played in the Premier League so he has a good pedigree.

“He didn’t have a good season last year. He had an injury so he missed out so he is very hungry to come back and prove himself and resurrect his career a little bit. I am very pleased he has signed for us.”