West Brom boss Alan Pardew watches loan star Ali Gabr on Swiss scouting mission
Albion boss Alan Pardew has returned from a Swiss scouting mission watching loan star Ali Gabr ahead of Saturday’s clash with Burnley.
Pardew spent Tuesday night in Zurich watching Gabr play for Egypt in a 1-0 international friendly defeat to Greece.
The 29-year-old is yet to feature for the Baggies since joining on loan until the end of the season from Zamalek in January.
Prior to Tuesday, Gabr had been limited to one appearance for the under-23s and Pardew saw the Swiss trip as an opportunity to assess the defender’s form at close quarters.
Gabr, who the Baggies have an option to buy in the summer, competed 90 minutes at right-back as Egypt were beaten by Nikolais Karelis’s 29th-minute strike.
The Baggies host the Clarets at The Hawthorns desperate for a win which could keep alive their slim hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
Pardew’s men currently sit 10 points adrift of safety having lost their last eight games in all competitions.
First-team coach Darren Moore meanwhile believes Kane Wilson has the potential to be a star of the future after the teenage defender signed a new deal at the club.
The 18-year-old, who has spent the season on loan with Exeter in League Two, has agreed terms to extend his stay at The Hawthorns until 2020.
Moore said: “He’s one of our young, up-and-coming, promising players.
“He’s got wonderful athleticism, wonderful speed, agility. He’s got a lot of power. But he’s also a nice footballer, he uses the ball very well. There are areas of his game that still need developing. But for a player of 18 years of age he’s got lots of potential.
“He’s learnt by moving away from academy football. He’s seen what a real dressing room is like and played against experienced professionals. Some of these lads have got 200, 300 professional games under their belt and he’s put his wits against them.
“He’s benefitted from that and he’s had a steady run in the team. His positional sense is better and his game understanding is better. We’ve had some wonderful reports back from Paul Tisdale and the Exeter staff.
“We see Kane playing for our first team if his potential is realised. At the moment he’s definitely on the right track. I think we’ll have a look at him when he comes back after the summer break to gauge where he’s at.”
