West Brom defender Ahmed Hegazi will not play for the U23 side against West Ham despite hopes that he may be involved as he steps up his return from injury.

The Egyptian international needed ankle surgery in the summer and has yet to feature for Albion under new boss Slaven Bilic.

However, it was reported at the start of the month that the centre-back was going to be in training around this time and that he would play for the development side to build up his fitness.

Yet, reporter Steve Madeley revealed earlier today that Hegazi was unlikely to be involved and he was a notable absentee when the club revealed the XI this evening.

That suggests that he is still a few weeks away from returning to action for the first team, which will be a blow to the Croatian manager.

Despite the Baggies positive start to the season, where they are unbeaten, they are yet to keep a clean sheet in their seven league fixtures, or in the cup.

The verdict

This is a shame for Hegazi as he will no doubt have identified this game as one where he could make his comeback but it's not to be.

Of course, there's nothing to suggest he has suffered a setback, so this will only slightly delay his return to the team.

Ultimately, Albion are right to take no risks as we are still at a very early stage of the campaign and they need to manage Hegazi carefully to ensure he can contribute as the season progresses.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.