West Bromwich Albion caretaker boss Michael Appleton has revealed he has the backing of Roberto di Matteo.

Appleton admits he's spoken with Di Matteo and Eddie Newton since their dismissal.

He told the WBA website: "It was a situation where I felt I had a responsibility to the players more than anything.

"I was more than happy to do that. The next step was to call Robbie, Eddie an Ade to have a frank conversation and talk about how disappointed they must be.

"And what I would say is all three of them were very disappointed but philosophical about the situation.

"We're in a little bit of a dogfight.

"Obviously, results-wise over the last 18 games it hasn't been fantastic. But one thing they were very clear on is the fact they wouldn't want anyone else to take charge - especially for the game on Saturday.

"They all wished me the best for Saturday and I thought that was quite nice because it's not an easy situation for them to be in.

"They told me I have their full backing."