WEST Bromwich Albion marksman James Morrison is determined not to make the same mistake twice.
The Scotland international learnt a harsh lesson the last time he tried to rush back from injury.
Ironically it was against Chelsea, Albion’s opponents on Saturday, when Morrison’s impatience got the better of him and finished up in tears.
Morrison faces another race against time to be fit for Saturday evening’s clash with the Premiership leaders but vowed: “The message is – don’t run before you can walk!
“I remember being out for four weeks with a hip injury when I was at Middlesbrough and then being thrown into a game against Chelsea back in February 2006.
“I had to come off after just 39 minutes, because I wasn’t ready for the workload and was out of action for a further six weeks as a result.
“My back just wasn’t right last week.
“I tried to train on the Thursday, but had to drop out.
“I was still getting pain in it and I just didn’t want to risk it and then be out for even longer.
“I trained a little bit yesterday with the team and got through it okay and I’ve kept my fitness up with some running today.
“The big test will come when I join in full training.
“It’s my pubic bone that’s inflamed at the moment and it’s all linked to my back.
“I think it’s down to overuse and I hope the rest will settle it down.
“Manager Tony Mowbray has had the same injury. Well managed, it should be fine”.
Morrison watched Albion’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on the TV back in the North East with his family.
He admitted: “I find it hard to watch when I’m not playing.
“We’re doing okay, but we need to cut out the silly mistakes and concentrate a bit better.
“The difference this year is that you will get punished when you make a mistake, whereas maybe you wouldn’t in the Championship.
“The lads are learning and I think we’ll get better as the season goes on”.
Morrison added: “Providing I’m fit, I’ve also got a game with Scotland to look forward to next week.
“We’re taking on Argentina at Hampden Park, which would be a great game to play in.
“It’s not often an opportunity comes round to play against Argentina – let alone an Argentina side managed by Diego Maradona.
“I’m really looking forward to it and I’ll be taking my camera to get a picture with him.
“I never saw him play, but I’ve seen the videos.
“I was only just born when the famous ‘hand of God’ incident happened in the 1986 World Cup.”
