West Brom centre-back Matt Clarke played 45 minutes and came through unscathed for the Under-23s on Monday, according to journalist Joe Chapman.

The Lowdown: Clarke injured this season

Clarke joined the Baggies on loan from Brighton in the summer, in what was seen as a strong signing by Valerien Ismael.

The 25-year-old has been limited to just three Championship appearances because of a hamstring injury picked up in August, however, stunting his start to life at the Hawthorns.

The Latest: Defender makes positive progress

Clarke is making good progress in his recovery, though, and he started the U23s' Premier League 2 clash with Sunderland on Monday evening.

Chapman of The Birmingham Mail took to Twitter to deliver a five-word update on the centre-back's 45-minute showing, saying:

"Came through it seemingly fine."

The Verdict: Key man moving forward

This is a big positive for Valerien Ismael, who is already without Dara O'Shea at the back for a large stint of the season.

Clarke's return should add competition for places and the fact that West Brom have won all three games he has started speaks volumes.

It could be that he is deemed fit enough to face Birmingham City a week on Friday - if not, his return to the fold looks to be sooner rather than later.

In other news, West Brom are sweating over the fitness of another player. Find out who it is here.