Carlos Corberan’s side have the chance to progress into the second round of the Carabao Cup tonight as they travel to the Bet365 Stadium to take on Stoke City.
Albion face a tough test, as Alex Neil’s side dominated Rotherham United on Saturday, securing a comfortable 4-1 win.
With it being a cup game and Albion’s first home game of the new campaign on the horizon, multiple changes are expected from the side that lost 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers over the weekend.
The Baggies will definitely be without the injured quartet of Grady Diangana, Martin Kelly, Adam Reach and Daryl Dike, with the likes of Okay Yokuslu and Brandon Thomas-Asante to be rested.
New signing Jeremy Sarmiento made his debut off the bench at Ewood Park on Saturday, with more minutes likely to come tonight.
Defence
With David Button close to a move to Reading, Josh Griffiths looks set to start in goal with Alex Palmer dropping down to the substitutes bench.
20-year-old talented England U20 right-back Ethan Ingram could be given a start with Darnell Furlong rested. Corberan may opt for a more experienced left-back option with Erik Pieters. Pieters, once a Stoke player, started out as a left-back but has been playing as a centre-back for Albion in recent times.
We think that the Baggies boss will opt for two experienced heads at the centre of the back four, with Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley. Ajayi started the game on Saturday and is expected to do once more tonight, with Bartley coming back into the starting eleven after coming off the bench to reunite the pair that have so often played together in a centre-back pairing.
Midfield
We expect Coberan to keep his 4-2-3-1 formation tonight, with an experienced central trio.
Nathaniel Chalobah started at Ewood Park and looks set to do so once again, with Yokuslu and Jayson Molumby dropping out and replaced by Alex Mowatt and John Swift.
After joining the club on loan, ‘talented‘ winger Sarmiento could be handed his first start for the club after making his debut off the bench at the weekend.
On the opposite side, versatile man Taylor Gardner-Hickman could feature as a right-midfielder with Jed Wallace getting a well-earned rest after his display against Blackburn.
Attack
Jovan Malcolm could be handed a start upfront with Thomas-Asante dropping out. Malcolm scored on his debut against Chesterfield in the FA Cup third-round replay at The Hawthorns back in January.
The 20-year-old has been impressive for Albion’s U21s in recent times, so could start as a lone striker for Corberan’s side.
West Brom’s predicted XI vs Stoke City: Griffiths; Ingram, Ajayi, Bartley, Pieters; Mowatt, Chalobah, Swift, Gardner-Hickman, Sarmiento; Malcolm.