Alou Diarra's bid to prove to Albion he is worth signing has suffered a setback.

The former West Ham and Liverpool midfielder's scheduled debut in the under-21s away to Charlton tonight has been abandoned.

Diarra, 33, has been delayed after returning to France for the weekend and will not now feature in tonight's match at Ebbsfleet FC (7pm).

Diarra trained with Albion last week but is short of match fitness following 11 months without a competitive appearance.