Should Ali Gabr’s West Brom debut now be imminent?

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It is easy to forget that West Bromwich Albion signed defender Ali Gabr during the January transfer window.

While disgruntled West Brom fans may suggest that the January loan deal for Daniel Sturridge was the most pointless deal the Baggies have done this season, there has arguably been a transfer that seems set to be even more bizarre.

Sturridge was making his third appearance for the side when he sustained the injury that has kept him out for over a month. Meanwhile, fellow January arrival Ali Gabr is still awaiting his first-team debut for Alan Pardew’s side.

BBC Sport reported at the start of the year that Gabr had signed on loan for the rest of the season and the Baggies could make the deal permanent for a fee of £1.1 million as the strugglers seemingly attempted to replicate the success of Ahmed Hegazi’s move to The Hawthorns.

However, not only does Gabr go into the final eight games of the season having not made an appearance for the first-team – and just one for the under-23s – but he has only featured in one matchday squad.

He was an unused substitute for the FA Cup defeat to Southampton in February, but has not been seen in a Premier League squad since joining, and that should leave West Brom fans scratching their heads – though, admittedly, they unfortunately have more than enough to scratch their heads about right now.

Pardew may now be hesitant to throw Gabr in when the club are facing such an uphill battle trying to avoid relegation from the top flight. But with Championship football next season appearing to be a formality at this stage, it may not be a bad idea to give Gabr a chance before the summer.

If Gabr can prove to be anywhere near as impressive as Hegazi, signing him for £1.1 million would be a real steal and he may prove to be the kind of player that could be influential in the second tier next season as the club probably prepare to lose some of their most important players.

But the West Brom hierarchy will have little idea about whether it is worth converting his loan into a permanent deal without playing him. Perhaps Pardew may be waiting for relegation to be confirmed before rotating his squad, but with few of the players actually covering themselves in any glory right now, there seems little risk involved in making big changes, including finally handing Gabr his chance.