HEAD Coach Alan Pardew will be assessing the talents of the Club’s Under 23s during January with a view to mapping out the next phase of their development.
Striker Jonathan Leko is already back from Bristol City after the Baggies recalled the England age-group forward from his loan to the Championship promotion-challengers.
Leko, who featured regularly in Albion’s first team squad last season and has made three senior starts for the Baggies, will resume training this week and give Pardew his first chance to run the rule over his talents.
At the same time, the Club will be reviewing the immediate prospects for many of its other Academy-reared players who have been out on loan seeking first-team experience.
Jack Fitzwater has completed his half-season loan at Forest Green while Shaun Donnellan has returned from the same agreement with Walsall.
The dual loans of Kane Wilson and Kyle Edwards to Exeter expires this week but there are talks underway which could see both return to St James Park for the second half of the season.
They will not feature against their parent club in the forthcoming FA Cup third round tie.
Two players whose progress has been hampered by injury are also the subject of fresh developments.
Midfielder Rekeem Harper, another young prospect to taste the fringes of the first team, has been recalled from his season-long loan to Blackburn where his senior opportunities were limited by a hip injury. Rekeem is now fit to rejoin training at Albion.
And striker Tyler Roberts is currently fighting to overcome a hamstring problem at Walsall.
Roberts’s loan to the Saddlers runs out on January 27 and will be the subject of talks between all parties to discuss his career pathway in 2018.
Kyle Howkins is back from his loan to Cambridge while Dara O’Shea’s loan to Hereford United has also been completed although the Edgar Street club have indicated they wish to extend the young defender’s loan for the remainder of the season.
Keeper Ethan Ross will remain on loan with Evo-Stik Southern Premier League club Redditch United.