Bryan Robson has dropped a huge hint that Diomansy Kamara is set to make only his second Premiership start against Blackburn this weekend.

Robson brought the Senegalese international, who spent last season on loan at Portsmouth, to The Hawthorns in the summer for a fee of £1.5 million.

His physical style earned him three cautions in his first three appearances for the club, but he caught the eye with a classy first-half performance against Bradford in the Carling Cup.

The 24-year-old scored and his direct runs pierced their back line on a regular basis. However, he was substituted at half-time with twisted ankle ligaments and seemingly ruled out of last Saturday's clash with Charlton.

But a Lazarus-style comeback granted him a place on the bench and his second-half cameo role won him a new legion of admirers.

Most importantly of all for Kamara, his attitude prior to and during the disappointing defeat against the Addicks has left Albion's manager singing his praises.

"Kamara made an impact and really got our lads going in the second half last week," said Robson. "He won a few tackles and was really positive when he was on the ball, which gave everyone a lift.

"He was excellent against Bradford as well, until he had to come off with an injury. However, he showed what a good attitude he has got, as we thought he had no chance of playing on Thursday, but he came in on Friday and said he was ready to play, That proves he is a tough lad with a good character."

Robson was also delighted with the contribution made by another of his summer purchases, Curtis Davies.

The hype surrounding Davies' £3 million arrival from Luton heaped a lot of pressure on the 20-year-old.

However, this affable, intelligent young man has proven in just two appearances that he can live up to all the expectation surrounding him.

In fact, Davies has shown maturity beyond his years and outperformed some more senior members of the squad, which augurs well for the future.

"Curtis has done well. He couldn't really have done any better and has got himself a goal as well, so the signs are good," continued Robson.

"Individuals have got to look at themselves and make sure they get their own performance right and then, whatever team is picked, the team play will come together.

"Their mentality has to be right, but the commitment amongst the lads is tremendous.

"The fans get a bit anxious and players then get a bit anxious, but it wasn't a nervous performance last Saturday, as there was nothing in the game for the first 15 minutes until they scored."

One crumb of comfort for Robson is that - Chelsea aside - Albion have looked far more resilient on the road this season.

But they are still waiting for their first away win and won't find it easy against a Blackburn outfit buoyed by their surprise victory at Old Trafford last weekend.

It gives Robson another chance to lock horns with his former team-mate at Manchester United, Mark Hughes. The former Welsh manager is adopting a more expansive style at Ewood Park and is earning plaudits for his no-nonsense approach.

Yet, as Robson admits, a managerial role wasn't always the career move people associated with Hughes as a player at Old Trafford.

"When we had team talks and Sir Alex Ferguson opened the floor, Mark was always very quiet, so it surprised quite a few of the ex-players who played with him that he wanted to go into management," continued Robson.

"Nevertheless, you speak to players who have played under him and they have respect for him. He was always a deep thinker and if we had to change formation during a game he knew exactly what was required.

"He has a football brain and he could take different systems on board. They got a result playing 4-4-2 at Manchester United and I think they will adopt that again."