Aiming to make a return to the top six in the Championship table, West Bromwich Albion will welcome Stoke City to the Hawthorns on Saturday.
On both sides' return from FA Cup action last weekend, the hosts trail the playoff spots by a single point, while their visitors will hope to climb from 19th spot with a first league win under the management of Mark Robins.
Match preview
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West Bromwich Albion head back into Championship action on Saturday with their sights set on the playoff spots, having put a three-match unbeaten streak together under the temporary stewardship of Chris Brunt before the FA Cup weekend.
Carlos Corberan departed in December with the Baggies sat seventh on 35 points from 22 outings, and after beginning with a defeat to Derby County and a draw with Sheffield United, Brunt oversaw a first win on New Year's Day as the Midlands outfit beat Preston North End 3-1 thanks to Josh Maja's first-half brace and Callum Styles's goal.
Then aiming to crack the top six, they visited Swansea last time out in England's second tier and shared the points in a 1-1 draw, having led through Tom Fellows only to be pegged back by an injury-time Joe Allen leveller.
A trip to top-flight AFC Bournemouth then followed in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, and after going ahead through Caleb Taylor, they dropped out following a 5-1 beating as Dango Ouattara netted a brace alongside goals from Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and Daniel Jebbison.
Now with their focus fully on the playoff fight, with a one-point gap up to sixth-placed Middlesbrough and only the top two sides having suffered fewer than their four defeats in 26 outings thus far, West Bromwich Albion will bid to get back to winning ways on home turf on Saturday.
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In their way stand a visiting side who will bid to continue an encouraging start to life under Mark Robins at the weekend.
Robins arrived in Staffordshire at the beginning of the New Year with Stoke City sat on just 26 points from 25 outings, and his tenure began with a home meeting with fellow strugglers Plymouth Argyle.
That contest ended goalless at the Bet365 Stadium, before the Potters visited Championship high-fliers Sunderland in the FA Cup and booked a fourth-round spot with a 2-1 win after extra time, as Tom Cannon had them ahead early on and Niall Ennis netted the decisive goal in the 112th minute.
They now head back out on the road having picked up just nine points from 12 away league matches, with their last five games away from home producing just two points, most recently sharing the spoils in a goalless stalemate away at promotion-chasing Burnley under the temporary management of Ryan Shawcross.
Now returning to action in 19th spot with a four-point lead over the drop zone, Stoke City will aim to begin climbing the table with a second straight win and a first in England's second tier under their new boss.
Team News
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West Bromwich Albion head into the weekend without striker Josh Maja, who sits second in the Championship's scoring charts with 12 league goals this season, due to an injury which ruled him out of their trip to AFC Bournemouth last time out, while Semi Ajayi and Daryl Dike also remain sidelined.
In Maja's absence, Karlan Grant should lead the line in their 4-2-3-1 setup, leaving John Swift, Jed Wallace, Tom Fellows, Grady Diangana and Mikey Johnston to compete for the three spots behind.
Ousmane Diakite and Jayson Molumby will hope to return to the midfield, after Alex Mowatt and Uros Racic were brought in for their FA Cup tie, while Torbjorn Heggem should come back into the defence despite Caleb Taylor getting on the scoresheet in his first Baggies appearance since returning from his loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers.
Stoke City are also missing their top scorer after Leicester loanee Tom Cannon was recalled on Wednesday, while attackers Million Manhoef and Sam Gallagher remain confined to the treatment room alongside Eric Bocat, Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson.
The Potters have since recalled striker Nathan Lowe from his loan spell with fourth-tier Walsall, for whom he notched up 15 goals and five assists in 22 League Two appearances this term, and he may be given the nod to lead the line on Saturday.
Lewis Koumas, Bae Junho and Andrew Moran should line up in support of the lone striker, while Wouter Burger and Tatsuki Seko should again partner up in front of the back four.
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Furlong, Holgate, Heggem, Styles; Diakite, Molumby; Fellows, Swift, Johnston; Grant
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Tchamadeu, Phillips, Wilmot, Stevens; Seko, Burger; Koumas, Moran, Junho; Lowe
We say: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Stoke City
Stoke City have shown encouraging signs in their first outings under Mark Robins, and we back them to pick up a creditable result against a West Bromwich Albion side who are yet to return to the form they showed under Carlos Corberan.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
