JARED Borgetti has been assured he still has a future at the Reebok, despite dropping down the pecking order.

The Mexican striker has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of opportunities since joining Wanderers from Pachuca, in August and has recently been overtaken by 19-year-old Portuguese starlet, Ricardo Vaz Te.

But Sam Allardyce says he has no plans to offload him in the January transfer window, when the focus will be on signing rather than selling players.

"We lose five players to the African Nations Cup, so we wont be able to transfer one out," the Wanderers boss said.

"We would be cutting our throat at that particular time, if we tried to do that."

Allardyce has acknowledged that Borgetti is the most frustrated member of his squad still without a Premiership start, let alone a Premiership goal, since joining Wanderers in a £1million move.

He had initially hoped to see the 32-year-old Mexican international share the attacking duties with Kevin Davies, but things have not worked out, for all his natural goalscoring talents.

Borgetti, his country's all-time top scorer, joined Wanderers in the hope of gaining valuable European experience to prepare for next summer's World Cup, in which Mexico will be one of the seeded teams. He was the world's leading marksman in the qualifying campaign.

But he has made only four starts, three in the UEFA Cup and one in the Carling Cup, and his only Premiership appearances have been as substitute. He has scored four goals - his latest breaking the deadlock in the Carling Cup win against Leicester last month - but the only time his name has appeared on the team sheet since then was for the UEFA Cup game against Sevilla, when he was not used.

Meanwhile, Vaz Te has emerged as the player Allardyce sees as the most effective to spice things up when the need arises.

Despite his frustrations, Borgetti has told friends he is determined to fight for his place in the second half of the season when he hopes to be given more opportunities.