West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Irvine doesn't expect Joleon Lescott to make their Premier League opener with Sunderland.
The Baggies take on Sunderland on Saturday with Irvine still without key defender Lescott, who broke down with a knee injury in the friendly against Nottingham Forest.
The England international remains sidelined.
Irvine said: "It has gone on a lot longer than I hoped but he had a setback when he played in the Forest game so that was a blow.
"All I can do is take the advice and timescales from the medical people and at the moment they haven't given me one so that means they feel they still need to keep a hold of him."
