Jonas Olsson backs Craig Dawson

Albion defender Jonas Olsson today backed 'Mr Maturity' Craig Dawson to handle his Premier League debut like a veteran if he gets the nod at Swansea.

The 21-year-old former Rochdale man is vying with Gareth McAuley – 10 years his senior – to partner Olsson in central defence against the Swans tomorrow, in the absence of the suspended Gabriel Tamas.

But Dawson, who has been preferred to McAuley as a substitute in three of the four Premier League games so far this season, appears to be the favourite to start.

And Olsson, set to captain the team with skipper Chris Brunt struggling with a knee problem, believes the rookie Dawson would take a top-flight bow in his stride.

The Sweden international said: "Craig is a very professional player and a very good guy.

"He is 21, but I think everybody who speaks to him or sees him in training feels like he's older than that and more mature.

"He has done very well since he came to the club. He's got an attitude I like and he's committed.

"He's humble and eager to learn after making a step up from where he used to be and yet he doesn't apologise for being here.

"He is always talking and trying to speak to the players next to him. He has a great attitude and I think he's got a bright future if he keeps going like he is.

"It's natural when you're 21 and you've been at the club for four months to be quiet.

"If you had spoken to me when I'd been here four months, I would have been quite laid back and not wanted to take too much attention off the field.

"But it's natural that on the pitch you don't think so much. Craig has a lot of personality and character on the pitch and that's important for a centre-half.

"I'm sure he's ready. I would be comfortable playing with him if he gets the go-ahead from the gaffer."

While Dawson has stolen the headlines in recent weeks with his debut goals for the England under-21 team, his main competitor for a start tomorrow has endured a nightmare start to his Baggies career.

Northern Ireland captain McAuley found his first Baggies pre-season cut short by a debilitating virus, while his error to gift Estonia a goal in his country's humbling Euro 2012 4-1 qualifying defeat last month was a further setback.

But Olsson believes the former Ipswich man is capable of kick-starting his Hawthorns career.

The Swede said: "When he has been in training he has done well. I played a few halves with him in pre-season and enjoyed it. He's an experienced guy who knows what he is about.

"But he was ill at the end of pre-season and of course that impacts on your performance."

Olsson and his new centre-back partner will head for Swansea looking for another clean sheet, after collecting the first of the season in Sunday's fiery 1-0 win at Norwich.

The Baggies failed to achieve a shut-out away from the Hawthorns throughout last term but they kept Norwich at bay to collect their first points of the season.

But Olsson, who was picked out by most as the club's star performer in East Anglia, believes there were signs of defensive improvement even as they slid to defeats in their opening three league fixtures.

He said: "After a win you always feel a mixture of joy and relief and I mostly felt relief after the game.

"There was some joy as well, of course, but it was very important to get up and running, especially after the three games we played before that.

"I think we played quite well and then ended up losing them all, and those losses always feel a bit worse than when you're outplayed and lose three or four-nil."