West Bromwich Albion will be glad that tonight’s encounter against Middlesbrough is happening this mid-week, seeing it as a perfect opportunity to bounce back straight after Saturday’s humbling Championship defeat away at Sheffield Wednesday.
That was the first time Carlos Corberan‘s Baggies had tasted the bitterness of a defeat in the second tier this season, as the usually dogged and staunch West Brom defence was regularly opened up by Danny Rohl’s men, leading to a shock 3-2 win in favour of the hosts.
Corberan would have been enraged with his side at the final whistle, which could lead to a number of changes taking place for tonight’s tricky showdown with Michael Carrick’s Boro, who are fresh off a 2-0 victory themselves against Stoke City.
Even still, the Hawthorns has been a fortress for West Brom so far this campaign, with zero goals conceded and zero losses registered from three games so far, which will give the West Midlands side an advantage after their confidence was dented in South Yorkshire.
Regardless of West Brom feeling more confident in front of their own masses, some changes could still take place, with Karlan Grant one figure who might be axed…
1
GK – Alex Palmer
West Brom’s usual number one in-between the sticks had a match to forget against Sheffield Wednesday, having to fish three strikes out of his net, but Alex Palmer is unlikely to be sacrificed for a different option tonight against Boro.
The 28-year-old has only conceded five goals all campaign, away from that rare off-day at Hillsborough, with three clean sheets picked up this season on his own patch.
2
RB – Darnell Furlong
Darnell Furlong didn’t cover himself in immense glory either away at the Owls, as his own goal in the first 45 minutes against Rohl’s buoyed-on hosts gifted Wednesday an early two-goal advantage.
Still, much like Palmer, Furlong hasn’t become a bad player overnight and is likely to be retained, having helped his side pick up a clean sheet and a win last match at the Hawthorns in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.
3
CB – Kyle Bartley
Kyle Bartley will also likely remain in the heart of defence for tonight’s game back on home soil, having been everpresent under Corberan this season so far in the second tier.
That’s for good reason too, with Bartley standing out even in the 3-2 loss, with five clearances registered alongside successfully winning eight duels.
4
CB – Semi Ajayi
Semi Ajayi has been Bartley’s main partner in the centre-back spots this season, owing to the departure of Cedric Kipre, but also down to the fact the ex-Rotherham United man has been solid alongside his experienced teammate.
The Nigerian defender is confident playing out from the back, with 48 accurate passes averaged per Championship clash this campaign, whilst also winning 3.9 total duels on average to try and keep opposition attackers at bay.
5
LB – Torbjørn Heggem
Whilst Ajayi stepping up to the mark has made Kipre’s absence feel less noticeable, Torbjørn Heggem has struggled at points in the left-back spot, performing in the arguable shadow of the now departed Conor Townsend.
The 25-year-old full-back did look out of his depth at points away at Wednesday, with just one weak tackle registered, but he has shown signs of his promise down the left in other games away from this disappointing defeat.
In the 1-0 home win over Plymouth, the Nordic defender would only misplace two of his 34 passes, whilst also shining when rolling up his sleeves with three tackles won on top of four successful duels.
6
CDM – Jayson Molumby
Jayson Molumby has been out of the main XI recently due to injury setbacks, but could be thrust back into the lineup for today’s game at the expense of new recruit Uros Racic.
Racic struggled in South Yorkshire, with just 18 accurate passes registered before leaving the field of play, after playing a key role in West Brom beating Plymouth the match before by assisting an on-fire Josh Maja.
It could well be time for West Brom’s number eight to come back into the main team, therefore, if he can pass a late fitness test.
7
CDM – Alex Mowatt
The second change to the XI that lost at Wednesday feels like an obvious tweak, with Alex Mowatt dropped back into the first-team fold, after being demoted to the substitutes bench away at Wednesday owing to his own slight injury concern.
Corberan must have been cursing that decision – regardless of the condition of his star midfielder – with the former Leeds United man managing to get his team back on level terms at 2-2 after a top second half showing.
Ousmane Diakite will be the casualty here, who was hauled off at half-time at Hillsborough for Mowatt to then work his magic.
8
RM – Tom Fellows
Tom Fellows will retain his spot, despite all the changes in the holding midfield positions, with the homegrown Baggies product bright in spurts at Wednesday.
Despite only managing a poor 28 touches of the ball, Fellows would assist Maja’s header that gave the away side a way back into the contest, whilst also registering three efforts of his own on James Beadle’s goal.
9
CAM – John Swift
John Swift was also a nuisance for the Owls defence to contain, with most attacking moves on the day from the Baggies going through the ex-Reading man.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder – who could have walked away from the West Midlands outfit this summer to their mid-week opponents – amassed a ridiculous 105 touches of the ball at Hillsborough, with four key passes also registered to try and unlock a tetchy Wednesday back four.
Also winning eight duels, Corberan will hope Swift can be instrumental in his side bouncing back with a win tonight over a tricky Boro team.
10
LM – Mikey Johnston
The third and final change to the XI that struggled away at Wednesday could see Mikey Johnston get his first start back at the promotion chasers, with an underperforming Karlan Grant dropped.
Johnston would fire home an mightily impressive seven goals last campaign when on loan at Corberan’s men – with his manager even labelling him as “special” in the process – and will be raring to reach those heights again, but is currently being kept out of the side by the former Huddersfield Town attacker.
His display against the Owls suggests a change could be required, with Grant only managing 19 touches of the ball on a quiet day at the office for the 27-year-old.
11
ST – Josh Maja
Whilst Grant faded in and out of the frantic contest at Hillsborough, Maja continued to be a poacher for his side with a fox in the box style finish for his team’s opener in the game.
With a ridiculous seven league goals now under his belt after that second half strike, the former Fulham attacker seemingly just has the midas touch at the moment in-front of goal, as Boro waits now as his next potential victim.
West Brom predicted lineup vs Middlesbrough – GK: Palmer; RB – Furlong, CB – Bartley, CB – Ajayi, LB – Heggem; CDM – Mowatt, CDM – Molumby; RM – Fellows, CAM – Swift, LM – Johnston; ST – Maja
