Cox could get chance in attack

Cox has been used mainly as a supporting midfield player by Albion this season - he stepped in for the injured James Morrison against Liverpool - but the former Swindon frontman has made it clear he would prefer to play in attack. And Appleton reckons Roy Hodgson may give the 23-year-old a chance before the end of the season. He told the Express & Star: "If you ask him, he prefers to play as a striker - and to do it with a partner. "From now until the end of the season there will be times when we play with one striker and one slightly deeper. Sometimes we will play five across the middle of the park with a more attacking midfield player. "When we decide to go with two up top - and that doesn't necessarily mean playing two flat centre-forwards - similar to Saturday, Cox will be an option. "On Saturday he was closer to Peter at times as a second striker, rather than being an attacking midfielder. "It's difficult when you've been out of the side for a while and you're coming into a big game, as Saturday was in terms of everything that was going on around it with the gaffer. "He will have been desperate to impress because he has not played much football under the gaffer. He did well and played the supporting role to Peter well. "A lot of the time you don't see a lot of the stuff he does off the ball - the runs he makes and space he creates for other people. "He had one opportunity in the game and hit it really well and Pepe Reina had to make a good save."