Darren Moore hopes James Morrison stays at West Brom

The midfielder’s £60,000-a-week contract finishes at the end of this season, and his future is up in the air after 11 years at The Hawthorns.

But Moore hopes the club will offer the 31-year-old a new deal in the summer once he proves he is fit again.

Albion’s longest-serving player has been out for the last eight months after rupturing his Achilles. Although he is now back on the grass, he won’t feature again this season.

When Moore was asked if that meant Morrison had played his last game in a Baggies shirt, he said: “No I wouldn’t say so.

“Mozza’s contract is up but he’s looking to work hard to get fit again.

“If James Morrison proves his fitness I see him potentially extending his contract.

“His contract is coming to an end but he’s working hard and he’s looking good. A fit James Morrison is a wonderful acquisition to the football club.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I’m hoping that Mozza’s longevity at the football club will continue.”

It’s been a frustrating campaign for Morrison, who shone last season in the number 10 role and scored five goals to help Albion finish in the top half.

The Baggies have missed his creativity this term and he’s been forced to watch on from the sidelines as Albion head for the trap door.

However, he is now starting to make progress on his injury and could regain his fitness over summer.

“Mozza is back in training,” added Moore. “He’s just started doing his running and stepping up his programme, which is great to see.

“Anybody who has been out as long as Mozza, to be out on the grass is a wonderful psychological boost.

“He continues his fitness programme, but as regards to James being available for the rest of the season, that would look highly unlikely.”

Morrison is the only Albion player currently unavailable through injury, but Moore has left Nacer Chadli out of the squad since his return and kept Liverpool loanee Daniel Sturridge on the bench.

Both players hold outside shots of going to the World Cup with Belgium and England respectively but are unlikely to be picked if they’re not playing for the Baggies.

“It sits fine with me,” said Moore. “Number one, both have been injured for some time and it’s only in recent weeks they’ve become available and fit.

“There’s still three weeks to go and they’re working hard – if they show the fitness and the form we know they can do there’s every chance of them playing in this team.

“Everyone has an equal opportunity of playing in the team. If fit, both of them are good enough to play in the World Cup.

“But we’re a team here and as good as some players are it’s a team.

“It’s wonderful to have Daniel’s talent here, we’re very blessed to have someone of that calibre, like other players, but we’re a team.

“The team has given me a selection headache, you’d rather have the bodies than not. We’ll select a team (for Newcastle) we think will do a job.”