Tony Pulis plans to refocus attention on defenders in January transfer window

The Baggies lost Jonny Evans to injury in the first half of today's 3-1 win over Hull City at The Hawthorns and Allan Nyom is reluctantly joining up with Cameroon ahead of this month's Africa Cup of Nations.

Although the extent of Evans's calf problem won't be known until he is assessed, Pulis would now like to bolster his back-line.

Albion have already had a club-record bid for Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin turned down, and were planning to return with a £20million offer.

Such a large outlay on one player would make other additions unlikely, but Pulis is now eager to turn his attention on his defence.

He holds a long-term interest in Leeds United left-back Charlie Taylor, who is out of contract in the summer.

"I don't want to bring players in just for the sake of bringing them in," said Pulis. "But looking at Jonny, and Nyom has gone off now, we might have to get a couple of defenders in now which we weren't expecting to do."

Today, Albion came from behind to win for the second time in 48 hours, beating a struggling Hull side 3-1 at The Hawthorns.

It was the club's fourth victory in their last five home games and leaves the Baggies in eighth place and on course for their best ever Premier League points tally.

When Pulis was asked if that red-hot form might help entice other players to join the club, he said: "You hope so. The players will be waiting for it, so will the supporters.

"Everyone wants to move on. We've got ambitious players in the team, players that want to push forward."

After a hectic festive schedule, Albion's players have now got two days off before they return on Thursday to prepare for Saturday's FA Cup clash with Derby County

But Pulis had no concerns about his side playing two games in 48 hours.

"Society's changed, we've got softer," he said. "If you tell people they're tired, they'll be tired, you don't have to do too much to convince them.

"We've never said you're going to be tired. Two games in three days playing professional football? For the money they get? Go and ask their grandads who worked 12 hour days down the pit, they never got tired.

"We've prepared, we've done it right, but we've never mentioned to them they're going to be tired.

"I made two changes from the game against Southampton. They weren't tired and the longer the game went on they showed the energy and the courage we possess."

Albion went 1-0 down in the 21st minute when Robert Snodgrass gave Hull a deserved lead, but they roared back in a dominant second-half performance with goals from long-serving trio Chris Brunt, Gareth McAuley, and James Morrison.

The turning point came when Pulis brought Nyom on for the injured Evans and moved to three at the back to match Hull's formation.

"They were better than us in the way they played with their shape, and we just changed it round," explained Pulis. "We were trying to change it just before Jonny got injured and then we lose Jonny which is a massive blow and just matched them up.

"Huddlestone and Livermore were getting far too much time on the ball and were dictating the play. We wanted Morrison and Fletcher to dictate it, so I changed the shape of the team, and wrestled the authority from them.

"Brunt's goal came at the right time and then from then on the crowd and the team, the belief was there, and the second half was fantastic."

Nyom initially tried to snub Cameroon and stay with Albion but when they threatened to complain to FIFA and ask for the governing body to ban him, he decided to join up with his country.

Although he plans to tell coaches that he doesn't want to play in the tournament and will request to rejoin the Baggies, it's unknown if Cameroon will accept that.

Even if they do let him return, the full-back - who impressed off the bench against Hull - is expected to miss Saturday's FA Cup clash with Derby Country.

When Pulis was asked how Evans was, he said: "We won't know until tomorrow. He felt his calf in the warm-up again but wanted to try it."