Tony Mowbray delivers damning verdict on unused West Brom forgotten man

It has been a season to forget for the Italian left-back, who checked into The Hawthorns last summer on a three-year contract from Juventus in his homeland.

Frabotta, 25, has not started a single Championship fixture this season and has been restricted an hour of league football for the club - and even those came across two slightly longer cameos.

But the left-sided defender, who was bought for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, has been mostly an unused substitute or absent from Albion's squad all season. He was recently given a rare run-out with the under-21s with head coach Mowbray keen to run the rule - but the boss's assessment is that he is not ready to turn to Frabotta.

"Frabotta ... I just can't see how Frabotta's up to speed and ready to play in our first team at this moment," Mowbray said of the Italian, who remained an unused sub against Hull on Saturday with centre-back Torbjorn Heggem preferred on the left.