Following a 1-1 draw in the Championship fixture with Millwall, West Bromwich Albion will face the Lions once again on Tuesday for the first round of the Carabao Cup.
Despite going ahead through an own goal by Alex Pearce, Albion squandered the opportunity to bag all three points at the weekend at the Hawthorns.
Slaven Bilic’s men conceded a goal late on after Matt Smith grabbed the equalizer and Albion will be desperate for a win in the Carabao Cup.
Even though the manager has stressed he will take the competition seriously, we expect a number of changes to the team which played in the last game.
West Bromwich Albion team news
Ahmed Hegazy is still out with an ankle injury but aside from him, Bilic has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Predicted West Bromwich Albion lineup vs. Millwall (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Jonathan Bond is Albion’s second-choice custodian and Bilic might station him between the posts in the upcoming game. It will be a good opportunity for Bond early on in the season to leave a positive mark on his teammates and his manager.
While Darnell Furlong could come in for Nathan Ferguson at right-back, Conor Townsend might get the nod to start as the left-back instead of Kieran Gibbs. The full-backs have to strike a balance between their offensive and defensive duties and will play an important role.
Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley might start as the central defensive pairing. While Bartley was thoroughly resilient against Millwall at the weekend, Ajayi struggled to an extent on Saturday and will look to find his rhythm.
Midfield
Rekeem Harper and Chris Brunt are expected to be paired in central midfield by Bilic. With Brunt’s experience and Harper’s tenacity in the middle of the park, the Baggies will look to dominate the midfield.
Bilic might be tempted to use Filip Krovinovic as the central attacking midfielder as he looks to progress in the competition. His creative prowess in the final third could prove to be handy for Albion.
Attack
Oliver Burke and Kyle Edwards might get the green light from Bilic to start on the wings. Both of them looked sharp at the weekend and will be aiming to make their presence felt in the attacking sector against Neil Harris’ side.
Kenneth Zohore is seemingly likely to be replaced by Charlie Austin up top in the upcoming clash. There are a lot of expectations on Austin’s shoulders and it is to be seen how he fares this season.
