Brunt sidelined by broken ankle The West Bromwich Albion captain, Chris Brunt, will be out of action for up to 10 weeks after scans confirmed that he broke his ankle during the Premier League defeat to Everton on New Year's Day. Albion said last night that the Northern Ireland midfielder was due to undergo surgery today, having suffered the setback when he fell awkwardly during the closing stages of the 1-0 loss at The Hawthorns. It means Brunt will be absent until the middle of March, with head coach Roy Hodgson's initial fears that it was a serious injury having been confirmed. A club statement said: "He will be out for between eight to 10 weeks."