West Bromwich Albion head away to Sunderland on Monday evening as they get their first taste of Sky Bet Championship action for just over four weeks. The long pause during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has allowed Carlos Corberan to get to know his new squad better - and given him the chance to properly instill his playing style.
The Baggies got off to a fantastic start under the new head coach before the World Cup got underway, with three successive wins-to-nil lifting them off the foot of the table and up into 22nd. From an intense worry about the threat of relegation to an optimistic hope of reaching the top half, the outlook has completely transformed in a very short space of time.
This week’s opponents, the Black Cats, have had a similar run of good form recently, with three wins and a draw in their last five Championship outings. Tony Mowbray’s side have been one of this campaign’s surprise packages, as they are currently up in 11th place and just four points away from the playoff spots.
It will no doubt be a tough clash for Corberan’s men, but the Spaniard has been a great influence so far and there is nothing to say Albion cannot give it a good go. With that in mind, here is the starting XI we predict Corberan will go with to give his team the best chance of a positive result.
9. LW: Grady Diangana
Could inject some pace on the left and has been a real threat to teams at times. Corberan will be keen to get some consistency out of the winger - as he started the campaign well but has dropped off somewhat since. | Getty Images
10. RW: Jed Wallace
Enjoyed himself over on the right flank at home to Stoke and away at QPR. Tough choice between him and Matt Phillips, but we’ve opted for Wallace. | Getty Images
11. ST: Brandon Thomas-Asante
Starts ahead of Daryl Dike, who unfortunately couldn’t feature in the friendly against Elche due to cold and flu symptoms. Not worth risking him from the start - and BTA is a great alternative. | Getty Images