Laudrup wary of Chelsea loanee’s threat ahead of West Brom clash

The 19-year-old Belgium international striker has made a big impression for the Baggies while on loan from Chelsea, scoring 12 goals including a double in the recent 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

Lukaku also found the net when Steve Clarke’s side were beaten 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium back in November, and Laudrup is wary of the youngster’s pace and power.

He said: “They have talent and speed up front with Lukaku and we are aware of that, especially in transition and on the counter-attack.

“They will be playing at home but we always like to have the ball, so we have to be careful there because we know Lukaku is so fast.

“He means they can go with two or three passes and move from their 18-yard box to ours in three seconds if we give the ball away.

“They are a strong side. We are two of the major surprises in the league this season - we both have 40 points with 10 games to go - and nobody could have thought that back in August.”