I may have to go, says Simon Cox

Albion striker Simon Cox today claimed he could leave The Hawthorns this month if he is unable to hold down a first-team spot.

The Ireland international believes he might need a loan move or a permanent transfer to kick-start his career after struggling to build on an encouraging end to last season.

Cox made just his second Premier League start of the season in Tuesday's defeat at Tottenham but fears he will lose his place again when boss Roy Hodgson's crippling injury crisis ends.

"I thought I would play a much bigger part than I did last season but it just hasn't turned out that way," he admitted.

"It's one of those things that happens in football and one that I will have to have a look at. It's a decision that we're going to have to make as a club, and with me and my family, in the next couple of weeks.

"If I get three or four starts and then the lads who are out injured start to come back and I get forced straight out of the team, that would be disappointing so I don't really fancy that either."

Cox has been linked repeatedly with loan moves away from The Hawthorns since he arrived from Swindon in 2009 and he would consider a permanent move to the Championship to secure regular matches.

But he also refused to rule out cutting his ties with the Baggies permanently after making just 27 league starts in two and a half years at the club.

"If someone comes in to buy me and it's the right price and the chairman and the manager say 'yes' then it would be out of my hands.

"If they say 'no, he's not for sale' and a loan is the preferred option then that's the sort of route we might have to go down."

Cox looks set to start again in Saturday's FA Cup clash with Cardiff at The Hawthorns as Hodgson faces a lengthening injury list.

The former Reading man said: "That's exactly the reason that you have 20 or 22 players in a squad, because of these situations.

"It always seems to come around Christmas when the fixtures pile up. But we know what we've got, which is a talented group of players."