Albion have offered another young giant striker the chance to make his name in English football.

The club have taken Vancouver Whitecaps forward Marcus Haber on trial now that his MSL season has come to a close.

It is a second attempt by the 19-year-old, having already had an unsuccessful pre-season trial with Leeds United a year ago which came to nothing.

The youngster is another powerhouse forward at 6ft 3in and a cruiserweight’s 190lbs (13.5st) and could offer yet another powerful young physique to Albion’s front options in the wake of Chris Wood’s breakthrough.

Although born in Vancouver, Haber holds both Austrian and Canadian citizenship and launched his career with Dutch Eredivisie club FC Groningen but left at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Otherwise, Albion have been distancing themselves from the relentless transfer speculation engulfing the club as January draws ever nearer.

The club have now rubbished reports that they will be among the bidders to take up Sir Alex Ferguson’s offer to hire out another of his young guns, midfielder Rodrigo Possebon, when he is brought back from an unsuccessful spell with Portugal outfit Sporting Braga in the New Year.

Claims in Romania that a deal has now been completed for Albion to take long-standing target Gabriel Tamas have also been denied by the club.

But Tamas, currently on loan with Dinamo Bucharest but whose registration is held by Auxerre, is a target and expected to be one of the club’s January recruits.

The good news for Albion today is that the injury to Joe Mattock is not as bad as was feared when he was stretchered out of the Bristol City match after half an hour on Saturday.

Medical checks and X-rays have confirmed there is no break around the ankle and instep area which was damaged – and Mattock has not even been ruled out of being available for this weekend.

But heavy bruising is likely to mean Marek Cech will get another chance to take advantage of Mattock’s misfortune.