Yves Bissouma has been urged to keep doing the dirty work the Premier League demands.

The Mali international has been told by Gaetan Bong, his closest companion in the Albion squad, that he still has a lot to learn.

But Bong is convinced Albion have a star in the making.

Bissouma has impressed on the ball since his summer move from Lille.

His trademark runs at the heart of defence, ball close to his feet, bring crowds to life.

But he has been guilty of giving away possession too easily in dangerous areas.

There has also been a question mark over his work off the ball in the highly demanding Premier League.

The latter was illustrated as he allowed Dan Gosling to advance all alone to score the first of Bournemouth’s five goals at the Amex recently.

He missed the next two matches but, after giving away a cheap free-kick very early on, passed a defensive test at Tottenham as part of a trio also including Dale Stephens and Pascal Gross.

There was also one exciting moment when it looked like he might break through the Spurs defence until the ball ended up at the feet of Glenn Murray, who was offside.

Bong has had a big influence on Bissouma’s first season in this country.

Both are French-speakers of African background who have spent time playing in the industrial north of France, Bong with Valenciennes.

So the left-back was an obvious man to offer an update after Bissouma, following the trauma of Bournemouth, was left out of matchday 18s against Cardiff and Wolves.

Bong told The Argus: “He was doing well. He is working hard.

“He is a young boy who has just come into the Premier League.

“Like we have said, we are a defensive team and he has to learn some stuff.

“He is an amazing player with the ball but he needs to learn where he needs to be, when to play it easy, when he can go forward.

“We see his quality but football is not only going forward and attacking.

“It is defensive shape, stay in shape, working hard and I think he was doing brilliantly.

“He played a lot of games. Pascal was injured but Pascal is back now. We need everyone.”

Bissouma supported his colleagues in the two games he missed.

Bong said: “When he wasn’t playing, he was involved, he was with the boys and the only way for us to win this challenge is to be together, playing or not playing.

“If we start to have an ego and all this, there is no point. Even me, I will not let him go like that.

“When I’m not playing, I don’t have an ego. I am just working for the team.”

Bissouma appears to stand a good chance of playing against Newcastle if Davy Propper is again ruled out by a hamstring injury.

Albion need all the attacking ideas they can get but even the creators must do their chores.

Gross admitted he had to work very hard on his defensive game in his debut Prem season, when he made headlines with goals and assists.

Watching him shadow Dele Alli away from the ball on Tuesday was entertainment in itself.

At times it looked like they were dancing as Alli took two steps forward, two back, one or two to the side, trying to work himself some space – and Gross matched him all the way.

Stephens felt Bissouma also did his bit in that capacity.

He said: “Biss has got unquestionable ability going forward.

“I have gone on record as saying he is one of the most talented players I’ve played with.

“But probably the other side of the game is something he can improve on, like we all he can. I’m sure he will do that.”