Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has confirmed that Robert Huth is allowed to leave the club on loan this month.
The defender has struggled to maintain a place in the first XI, having featured in just three games this season due to numerous injury woes.
West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis is believed to be keen to reunite with Huth at The Hawthorns, with reports claiming that an initial loan deal could turn into a permanent move.
However, Hughes has insisted that he wants the 30-year-old to return to the Britannia at the end of the season.
"He needs games and we know that," Hughes told reporters. "I've had a good chat with Robert. It's difficult to put him straight in after a long period away.
"We're trying to find him the right club. We want to get him out there, give him games and then try and get him back here to us."
Huth has been at Stoke since 2009.
