Sunday 23 August 2015 15:42, UK
Tottenham target Saido Berahino was left out of West Brom's match-day squad to face Chelsea on Super Sunday.
Spurs remain keen to sign the England Under-21 striker despite having a bid of £18million rejected by the Baggies earlier this week.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis said in his pre-match press conference that he had told Berahino to forget ongoing discussions over his potential transfer to White Hart Lane and concentrate on the upcoming game.
But his absence suggested heavily that the forward was not in the right frame of mind to play against Jose Mourinho's side.
Pulis was asked about Berahino's omission in the tunnel ahead of kick-off against Chelsea, and he told Sky Sports that he was simply frustrated with the transfer window.
He said: "It's absolutely ridiculous we are talking about something outside of football.
"I have said what I have said about the transfer window; if you close it before the season starts then everybody can concentrate on the football.
"There are a lot of clubs being affected by it being open and we are playing Chelsea today - the champions - and we are not talking football, which is down to the system."
I have said what I have said about the transfer window; if you close it before the season starts then everybody can concentrate on the football.
Of his talk with Berahino earlier this week, Pulis said on Thursday: "I had a chat with him on the pitch when we were training and told him what I thought.
"I told him not to get wrapped up in all the hype, concentrate on his football and let the other people deal with the stuff that's going on because he can't affect it.
"He's a young lad and he might need some protection, we will see. He has handled it very well at the moment."
West Brom's chairman Jeremy Peace issued a firm statement on Wednesday that the club were not interested in selling the 22-year-old, after rebuffing Spurs' opening offer.
He said: "We have no interest in selling Saido which is what I have told [Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy.
"I know we are living in an age where no club can say 'never' about the possibility of selling a player. However, the prospect of selling Saido is simply not on our agenda.
"We are going forward with Saido very much in our plans and still striving to add players to improve the balance of our squad."
