Tony Pulis wants Nacer Chadli to return but Belgian needs to win round West Brom team-mates

Albion’s record signing hasn’t played a minute in the Premier League this season after refusing to go on the club’s pre-season tour to Austria.

That angered Pulis at the time, but he is now keen to get Chadli back on the pitch, and was going to play him at Brighton before he reported a muscle strain on the Thursday beforehand.

Chadli returned to action in an under-23s match on Monday night while the first team played Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Although he isn’t expected to start at home to Watford this Saturday, he is expected to be in the squad.

But sources close to the squad say the Belgian still needs to win back the respect of some of his team-mates after skipping out the trip to Austria.

“We’ve got to get everyone fit,” said Pulis. “Then we’ll start looking at what we want to do and tie things down.

"I’ve got something in my mind I want to use and I think it will suit the players we’ve got. But I want them all fit first and then we can knuckle down and nail it down.

“Unfortunately we’ve picked up a few injuries at the start that’s stopped us from playing in a way that might suit this group of players.

“Hopefully the players will evolve in a shape and system that suits them. The most important thing is that it suits the players.”

Pulis has also been without Oliver Burke since he picked up a hamstring injury two weeks ago in a separate under-23s match.

The £15m signing was nearing a return last week but Pulis and the medical staff decided not to take any chances with him on Monday night and left him out of the squad.

“For those asking I have had a slight hamstring injury problem and hopefully back soon,” said Burke.

Meanwhile, Albion have sent scouts to look at 17-year-old Dunfermline striker Callum Smith, who has broken into the Scottish Championship side’s first team this season and scored two goals.