Albion boss Gus Poyet has defended the behaviour of his loan star Gonzalo Jara Reyes.

Poyet believes Chile have over-reacted in expelling the on-loan West Brom full-back from their squad with four team-mates, since he is injured and unavailable for selection.

Jara Reyes was one of five players shown the door by Chile coach Claudio Borghi on Wednesday after missing a 10pm curfew the night before.

He was already banned for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay and would not have played even if suspension-free due to the knee injury he sustained playing for Albion at Birmingham.

The injury is expected to sideline him for three weeks, so he will not be fit for Chile’s qualifier against Paraguay on Tuesday either, or the Seagulls’ next two games away to Southampton and at home to Coventry.

Poyet told The Argus: “Gonzalo called me on Wednesday and said he was not going to be involved in the two games because of his knee. The doctor in Chile is saying it’s a bit worse than we thought.

“For me that’s it. Then he was with the doctor of the national team during the recovery, so he was still part of things but not able to play.

“The players went to the baptism of one of the player’s sons. They came back 45 minutes late and the manager decided to disaffect all of them.

“I’m not going to talk about the other four. Gonzalo was injured and out already, so did he make a mistake to be starting his recovery with the doctor of the national team? If he was not there, there would be nothing to say.

“There is no problem with him, nothing that we need to do. I haven’t talked to the manager of Chile or the federation but for me it’s common sense.

“If in the summer somebody is in America and does something wrong with a group of friends in Vegas, yes you would like that not to happen but you understand how things are now. There is going to be some risk and somebody is going to do something.

“I cannot control 25 players and make them to be unbelievable. I don’t think it’s that bad because he was injured. If he wasn’t injured then the situation would be different.”

Inigo Calderon will continue at right-back for Albion in Jara Reyes’ absence.