View: Matheus Pereira could face uphill battle to reclaim West Brom spot after Spurs clash
West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira was the notable absence from the 1-0 defeat against Spurs on Sunday afternoon.
It was confirmed before the clash that the Brazilian has returned a positive test for COVID-19 and will be isolation over the international break.
Pereira had just made his 50th appearance for the club against Fulham and was replaced early after failing to make any sort of positive impact.
Slaven Bilic reacted to his absence on Sunday by changing his system once again.
The Croatian decided to play two strikers, take out his wingers and play 5-3-2, something which suited the Albion perfectly.
Conor Gallagher and Filip Krovinovic played either side of Jake Livermore in midfield, and the two attacking-minded options showed great fight against a high-quality Spurs side.
That left Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant in the final third, and that duo did everything but score – meaning it would be no surprise to see no changes for the game against Manchester United.
Pereira facing an uphill battle
This new system would see Pereira finally get the chance to move more central once again – where we have seen him at his best.
But, the only problem with that is the fact that one of Gallagher or Krovinovic would need to be dropped by Bilic.
Pereira only completed 31% of his 42 actions against Fulham in the 2-0 defeat according to WyScout – by far his worst of the season.
Even defensively he let himself down, making zero interceptions for the first time this season.
That is something that can’t be overlooked, and with Manchester United next up, Pereira can only expect a spot on the bench at Old Trafford, despite his clear talent.
In other West Brom news, this well-liked WBA star facing challenges at training ground
Be sure to follow West Brom News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Baggies and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Phillips.