Richardson forced to miss Old Trafford clash

Kieran Richardson will be denied the opportunity to impress Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford on May 7.

The England Under-21 international has been a major success at West Brom since joining the Baggies on loan from Manchester United in January.

Bryan Robson has already signalled his intention to try to extend Richardson’s spell at The Hawthorns for another season, although the chances of completing such a deal largely depend on the Black Country outfit preserving their top-flight status.

With three games remaining, the Baggies are still in the drop zone, level on points with Crystal Palace and Norwich and two clear of basement outfit Southampton.

But their chances of survival will not be helped by the absence of Richardson from the televised clash with United a week on Saturday.

For, while the Londoner would have loved the chance of proving to Ferguson the improvement he has made over the past four months, Premier League rules prevent loan players apparing against their original club.