MATT Sparrow faces further weeks of frustration after missing out on a loan move away from Albion.

Development squad striker George Barker joined Barnet before yesterday’s deadline but midfielder Sparrow will have to wait until the January transfer window for the chance of regular football.

Sparrow and Frenchman Romain Vincelot were told by manager Gus Poyet at the start of the season their futures lay elsewhere.

Vincelot recently made a temporary move to Gillingham but Sparrow’s hopes of a return to former club Scunthorpe earlier this month were scuppered by financial issues.

Poyet told The Argus: “It’s unbelievable and I am devastated for Matt. We have changed things in midfield and for those reasons Matt has been unable to play.

“It is nothing against him. He has been an absolutely top class professional. I haven’t got a bad word for him. He is a very fit lad as well.

“Of course he’s not happy. Of course he wanted to play but he trains every day, never misses a session in the gym and has asked to play games in the second team many times.

“I would like to play him but we have got plenty of options in the middle. “I don’t understand how he cannot be playing somewhere, so we are going to try to help him as much as we can.”

Sparrow has made nearly 400 appearances in the Championship, League One and League Two for Albion and Scunthorpe.

Meanwhile, Barker has moved to League Two Barnet until January 5 after impressing in the development squad.

The 21-year-old will team up at Underhill with Dutch legend Edgar Davids, who is player-coach.

Albion already have fellow prospects Brennan Dickenson (Chesterfield), Jake Forster-Caskey (Oxford United) and Yaser Kasim (Luton Town) out on loan.