Soccer-West Brom keeper Foster to return after nine-month absence

Jan 6 (Reuters) - West Bromwich Albion keeper Ben Foster is on course to return to the first team on Saturday after spending nearly nine months on the sidelines with a knee injury. The 32-year-old has been out of action since damaging his cruciate knee ligaments against Stoke City in March last year, but manager Tony Pulis said he could be involved in Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie against Bristol City. The England international played 45 minutes for the club's under-21 side on Tuesday. "It's good to have Ben back. He played 45 minutes and then trained with us," Pulis told the club's website (www.wba.co.uk). "I will speak with the medical staff but I would like to think he might be involved in Saturday's FA Cup game." Boaz Myhill has replaced Foster as the Baggies' first-choice keeper this campaign and the club also signed Anders Lindegaard from Manchester United in the close season. Foster has lost his place as rival to first-choice keeper Joe Hart in the England squad to Stoke's Jack Butland, while manager Roy Hodgson has also drafted in Burnley's Tom Heaton. (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)