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Joleon Lescott bidding to step up West Brom fitness with under-21 friendly

Joleon Lescott will be given a chance to prove his West Brom fitness as he eyes a Baggies debut against Everton.

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The 32-year-old defender is yet to feature in the Premier League for Albion after suffering a knee injury in preseason, but is in line to play against Hull in an under-21 friendly on Tuesday.

Lescott, who moved on a free after leaving Manchester City in the summer, could be joined by fellow new-boys Cristian Gamboa, Silvestre Varela and Sebastian Blanco -- who all lack match fitness.

A return would be a huge boost ahead of the Baggies' home game with Everton on Saturday after centre-back Gareth McAuley limped out of Northern Ireland's 2-1 win in Hungary on Sunday.

"We've got an under-21 friendly here on Tuesday and I would love to be able to play players in that game who need to play. Ideally I would want to be including all of them," head coach Alan Irvine told the club's official site.

"It is scheduled as an under-21 friendly but I think with Hull's five signings on deadline day and us trying to get players bedded in, I would think it will end up being a game for a whole load of players that Steve [Bruce, Hull manager] doesn't know very well and I don't know very well.

"It's fairly star-studded but they need it, several have not done a preseason. There's a lot of players who need training and games and also need to get to know one another."

Georgios Samaras may also play after he lasted 45 minutes of Greece's 1-0 Euro 2016 qualifier defeat to Romania on Sunday and James Morrison -- who played in Scotland's 2-1 loss to Germany as he continued his recovery from a knee injury -- is pencilled in.