Yves Bissouma is up and running with Albion.

The midfielder signed recently from Lille played the first 50 minutes of a 1-1 friendly draw against Portsmouth behind closed doors today.

Bissouma partnered Beram Kayal in midfield as boss Chris Hughton split his first team squad between this game and tonight’s fixture at Charlton.

Mathew Ryan also played 50 minutes as he returned to action after the World Cup.

And Shane Duffy got the full match, which was split over three 25-minute periods.

Ryan was largely untroubled but his replacement Hugo Keto was beaten early in the third period when a corner was headed goalwards by Christian Burgess and touched in by Brett Pitman.

Keto then tipped over Pitman’s curler before Ezequiel Schelotto was inches from levelling as his shot hit the inside of the post.

Anthony Knockaert arrived late to head home Tomer Hemed’s precisely chipped cutback and bring the hosts level on 65 minutes.

Pompey went closest in the first period as Pitman hit the upright when a corner dropped to him at the far post.

Bissouma got on the ball a lot but had mixed fortunes with his passing as Albion struggled to play their way through.

The Mali international produced some great work in the second period to keep possession under pressure and thread a pass between defenders to send Knockaert on a run.

Pittman thumped a free-kick wide in the second period.

Albion: Ryan (Keto 51); Schelotto, Duffy, White (Collar 51), Bong (Gyokeres 51); Knockaert, Bissouma (Mandroiu 51), Kayal, Suttner; Norwood; Hemed.