Football
ESPN staff 8y

Arsenal's Serge Gnabry not at the level to play - West Brom boss Tony Pulis

Arsenal loanee Serge Gnabry is not at the required level to feature for West Bromwich Albion, according to boss Tony Pulis.

Gnabry, 20, joined West Brom on a season-long loan in early August as he looked to secure first-team football in the Premier League.

However, the Germany youth international -- whom Joachim Low once described as a contender for his 2014 World Cup squad -- has made just one league appearance to date for the Baggies, coming on as a late substitute in August's 3-2 defeat to Chelsea.

Pulis has now said that the winger, who had not previously been out on loan, does not have the necessary experience to play in the English top flight.

"Serge has come here to play games but he just hasn't been for me, at the moment, at that level to play the games," Pulis said in the Express & Star newspaper.

"He's come from academy football and not played much league football -- does academy football really prepare players for league football? And we're talking about Premier League football here.

"As a manager you pick a team that's going to win a game of football. You pick your best team -- you don't leave people out because you don't like them, because of this, that and the other."

Gnabry also played for West Brom in their penalty shootout victory over Port Vale in the Capital One Cup as well as their 3-0 defeat to Norwich in the same competition.

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