Failure of move for Hulse enables Saunders to sign Antoine-Fortune

Born in French Guyana, Fortune has fallen down the pecking order at The Hawthorns and will attempt to shoot Rovers out of relegation trouble in the Championship.

Saunders swooped for the 30-year-old after failing in a move for former Leeds United and Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse, who is out of favour at Queens Park Rangers.

He also held talks with veteran Dutch international Bolo Zenden, who had been training with Celtic since his release by Sunderland.

Fortune joins the growing list of short-term foreign acquisitions moving to Rovers thanks to a link up with agent Willie McKay.

Senegal international centre-back Habib Baye and French midfielder Herold Goulon had arrived on loan earlier this week from Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers, respectively.

Former Liverpool striker El-Hadji Diouf, former Blackburn Rovers defender Pascal Chimbonda and West Ham United defender Herita Ilunga had also moved to Rovers on short-term deals in the last few weeks along with Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

Rovers have won three games out of 10 since Saunders took over as manager and are still seven points adrift of safety at the bottom of the Championship table.

“It’s probably been a bigger test than I expected,” admitted Saunders.

“Some really good players are arriving at the club and sometimes it takes time to gel. I have to change the whole squad around but there is room for everyone who plays well.

“No one can complain if we don’t win games and I change things.

“If you play well, you stay. If I see anyone that is not part of it they can leave.”

Saunders is still running the rule over veteran defender Lamine Diatte, 36, who is a free agent and able to sign for the club at any stage.

Diatte, who captained Senegal and played in the 2002 World Cup, has spent the last few years with a variety of clubs including Newcastle United, Hamilton Academical and Al-Ahli of Qatar.

Nigerian striker Daniel Uchechi, who had been released from a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday, trained with Rovers but failed to land a contract.

Rovers, meanwhile, cancelled the loan deal of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ryan Mason and allowed midfielder Mark Wilson to extend his loan stay at Walsall.

Winger James Baxendale has gone on loan to non-league Buxton FC.