West Bromwich Albion midfielder Chris Brunt has admitted that he needs to prove his fitness before opening talks with the club regarding a new contract.

Brunt underwent a hernia operation during the summer and is yet to feature in pre-season, but the Northern international has revealed that he is hopeful of extending his stay at The Hawthorns.

The 29-year-old is quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying: "Obviously I need to get fit first. If things work out, I'm sure that we'll talk about it.

"Everything's been good following my operation. I'm about a week, 10 days behind the other players, but it's gone better than expected.

"I've had a good week's training. I've done more than I planned. Hopefully if things go well, I can get back into training sooner than I thought."

Brunt has made 249 appearances for the Baggies during his seven years with the club.