ANTHONY Barness is back at the Reebok after having his loan move to West Ham called off at the eleventh hour.

Sam Allardyce recalled the utility defender, who trained with the Hammers on Thuesday, after an unproductive search for defensive cover.

Barness goes straight into the squad for Saturday's Reebok clash with Portsmouth when Wanderers, already without Ricardo Gardner, expect to be without their only other specialist left-back, Simon Charlton, who picked up a hamstring injury in the 4-3 win at Blackburn last week and could be sidelined for three weeks.

It is an amazing U-turn, coming just 24 hours after Barness agreed a month's loan with the Hammers, with a view to a permanent transfer.

Allardyce, who spent two days in France, had hoped to have recruited a left-sided defender but his mission proved fruitless, leaving him desperately short-handed on the defensive front.

Despite protests from the Nigerian FA, who ordered their players to report for African Nations Cup duty on Monday, Jay-Jay Okocha will play -- as will Portsmouth's Yakubu Aiyegbeni. Arsenal have also confirmed that Kanu will be in their squad for the game at Aston Villa on Sunday and it is looking increasingly likely that both Wanderers and Arsenal will have their Nigerians available for their respective first legs of the Carling Cup semi-finals next week.

Javi Moreno, who has had two impressive substitute outings since joining Wanderers on loan from Atletico Madrid, is pressing for his first start, but may again have to settle for a place on the bench.