91Èȱ¬

West Bromwich Albion have criticised "unclear" rules for the EFL Trophy after striker Andre Wright's loan move to Yeovil Town fell through.

The 20-year-old played for West Brom's Under-21 side in the EFL Trophy in August before a loan spell at Coventry.

His move to Yeovil for the rest of the season had been announced on Tuesday.

But players can only appear for two clubs in one season and West Brom say the EFL deems the Trophy game to be a first-team fixture.

"It's a great shame because it would have been another excellent development opportunity for Andre," Albion director of football administration Richard Garlick

"At the time of Andre's Trophy appearance, the rules were unclear regarding whether this was designated a first-team or Under-23 match. We had not had the approach from Coventry at that point."

A statement from Yeovil said they were "disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to work with Wright but wish him all the best for the remainder of the season".

An EFL spokesman told 91Èȱ¬ Sport that the Trophy has "always been" a first-team competition and therefore subject to Fifa regulations.

"Therefore, the EFL has no option but to reject the registration for non-compliance, but shares the frustration of both clubs," he added.

Section five, clause three of Fifa's regulation on status and transfer of players states: "Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season. During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches for two clubs.

"As an exception to this rule, a player moving between two clubs belonging to associations with overlapping seasons (i.e. start of the season in summer/autumn as opposed to winter/spring) may be eligible to play in official matches for a third club during the relevant season, provided he has fully complied with his contractual obligations towards his previous clubs."