View: Bilic hit with West Brom selection issue, fringe duo might have to start after int’l break
West Brom may have won 1-0 at Hull City on Saturday to keep themselves top of the Championship table but the victory on Humberside came at a cost.
Romaine Sawyers and goalscorer Jake Livermore both picked up their fifth booking of the season and are now suspended for Albion’s next match, which takes place after the international break against Sheffield Wednesday at The Hawthorns on November 23.
It leaves manager Slaven Bilic with a selection headache for that game as so far this term, Sawyers and Livermore have started every single Championship fixture.
Bilic does have other options to play in the centre of the midfield and there could be a chance that we see two of Chris Brunt, Rekeem Harper or Gareth Barry in the starting line-up against the Owls.
Brunt has barely played for West Brom this season with the 34-year-old earning just four appearances off the bench in the league.
However the experienced Northern Irishman has still been seen a lot more often than Harper has as the 19-year-old has not played in the league since a six-minute cameo off the bench against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.
Barry is also yet to be seen for West Brom since he re-signed for the Black Country club and there have to be doubts about whether he is fit enough to be thrown into the starting line-up against Sheffield Wednesday.
Semi Ajayi is another interesting option.
The ex-Rotherham centre-back can play in a holding midfield role but if that was to happen, it would force Bilic into yet another change as Ahmed Hegazi would more than likely have to come into the back-four.
It would make the most sense for Brunt and Harper to start in the centre of the midfield against Sheffield Wednesday.
Barry is unlikely to be fit and moving Ajayi into the midfield could disrupt a defence that has now kept two clean sheets in a row.
Plus, Brunt has scored two goals in his five appearances against his former club.
There’s no doubt that the Albion icon would like to add to that tally later this month.
In other West Brom news, fans were thrilled with this 30-year-old’s performance in the win against Hull.