West Bromwich Albion Football Club

• Nickname:The Baggies
• Founded:1878
• Manager:Steve Clarke

• Ground:The Hawthorns
• Capacity:25400

Mowbray offers Mulumbu hope

17 Apr 2009 - 15:19:13

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West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has offered loan midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu hope that he can still earn a permanent stay at The Hawthorns.

The 22-year-old has featured just once as a substitute for the Baggies since arriving from Paris St Germain in the January transfer window, but Mowbray is happy with the player's attitude.

He told the Birmingham Mail: "Youssouf needs to get his fitness levels to a point where he can play in the first team and maintain his standards for 90 minutes.

"He is still chasing his fitness because he has been stop-start since he came here, but he has done enough to suggest he could have the attributes to help our team.

"I watched last week's reserve game on tape because I was ill, I thought for half-an-hour he showed all the qualities of energy and work-rate to play the way he plays, yet he struggled a bit in the second half to get around the pitch.

"There is a deal that is there to be picked up if we want to, but the boy needs to get himself fit to a point that gives us an opportunity to judge him in and around the team.

"He has a nice personality for our dressing room and is a very humble young guy who gets on with his job, but ultimately we need to see him on a football field.

"Hopefully he will get the chance in the next half-a-dozen games and we will be able to decide whether he has the qualities we're looking for."