Scott Carson is backing West Brom defender Leon Barnett to bounce back from a difficult start to his Premiership career.

"It's not easy in the Premier League and he got called in 10 or 20 minutes before kick-off against Villa and it's not easy," said Carson.

"It's like a goalkeeper being thrown on as a sub at half-time. It's really difficult.

"It couldn't have been easy for him to be thrown on in those circumstances, especially when he hadn't prepared himself mentally to play.

"But the last couple of times he has played he has done really well and been really strong and steady for us.

"Early in the season we were trying to play too much from the back whereas now if the ball's got to go it's got to go. That's what we've tried to do in the last two games and since Leon has come back in he has just put his foot through it if it needs clearing.

"That's how it needs to be. I don't know what Leon is thinking but it's not nice when you have a bad game against someone. The next time you play against that team you want to play well to prove a few people wrong."