Greg Halford is keen on a permanent return to Albion.

The on-loan utility player’s future with parent club Nottingham Forest is up in the air.

He is out of contract at the City Ground in the summer and would like a chance to return to the Amex.

Halford, who deputises at centre-half again for the banned Lewis Dunk at Blackburn Rovers tomorrow, said: "Whatever options I have in the summer, I can’t look at any one of them lightly but because I’ve enjoyed myself so much down here it will definitely be a good option to have.

“It’s a strange situation to be fair because Dougie Freedman’s first game was against us so he’s under pressure to get results and I think his contract is only until the end of the season with a view to extending.

“So it’s all up in the air in terms of conversations with any clubs. Nothing has happened and I need to play games to be able to create those conversations and go forward.”

Resurgent Forest, with an outside chance of reaching the play-offs, are 15 points and ten places above Albion but that makes no difference to Halford.

He said: “Just because one team is pushing for a play-off position and another team is fighting to stay in the league makes no odds to me because it’s all swings and roundabouts in this league.

“It could be vice-versa next year. We could be pushing for the play-offs and automatic next season like the club’s been doing for the past few years.

“The Championship is an unpredictable league and on the day anyone can beat anyone and everyone has a chance of being able to go up. It’s just having that little bit of luck and consistency.

“Momentum is a massive thing in this league and, when you pick up a bit of momentum, it’s a hard thing to break.”

The Albion squad flying up to Lancashire today to face Blackburn does not include on-loan striker Leon Best as he cannot play against his parent club.

Midfielder Beram Kayal has recovered from a knock which forced him off at half-time in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at Millwall.