West Bromwich Albion are in home Championship action for the first time this season as they take on fellow playoff hopefuls Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.
Returning to The Hawthorns for the first competitive fixture of 2023/24, Carlos Corberan and his men will be eager to bounce back after two successive defeats on the road.
Two 2-1 losses – one at Blackburn Rovers in the league and then another at Stoke City in the Carabao Cup – have lowered the confidence a little but the presence of home supporters should help buoy Albion.
It won’t be an easy encounter as Swansea have a solid core to their side including the likes of Ben Cabango, Matt Grimes and Jöel Piroe. They did fail to beat Birmingham City last weekend, though.
Typically set up in a back five, the Swans could counteract the Baggies effectively if Corberan opts for a three as he did at Stoke. For that reason, we think it’ll be a flat four on Saturday.
With that in mind, flick through the pages to see the 11 players we think will get the nod from the off, as well as a brief explanation for each inclusion.
1. GK - Alex Palmer
Claims back his spot between the sticks after a runout for Griffiths in the cup.
2. RB - Darnell Furlong
Expected to be the number one choice at right-back throughout much of the season.
3. CB - Semi Ajayi
Corberan is still yet to figure out his preferred defensive partnership, so we think more rotation awaits.
4. CB - Erik Pieters
Looked like the best defender in a poor performance on Tuesday and could get the nod ahead of Taylor and Kipre.