Joe Ellis

Sun 14 August 2022 14:00, UK

West Brom head north to Lancashire where Blackburn Rovers await Steve Bruce’s side who are yet to be beaten so far this season.

Albion have taken two points from two very tough games to start their 2022-23 campaign with draws away at Middlesbrough and at home to Watford.

They picked up their first win on the season in the Carabao Cup against Sheffield United on Thursday as Karlan Grant came off the bench to score the winner.

Rovers currently sit third in the league with only Watford and Hull City above them having played a game more while West Brom lie 19th, four points behind today’s opponents.

For the trip to Ewood Park, Bruce has made 10 changes to his Baggies side that defeated the Blades with Jed Wallace, John Swift and Conor Townsend among those coming back in.

In form

The games don’t seem to be getting any easier for West Brom with Blackburn proudly possessing a perfect record from their opening two matches of the new season so far.

But there is no mark in the defeats column for Albion either and they would probably be fairly content if that was still the case when the final whistle blows at Ewood Park.

The performance in both games so far has been exceptional and it has only been a lack of clinical edge that has prevented the Baggies from having the same 100 per cent record as their hosts.

Daryl Dike’s injury absence is not going to help that but Grant has looked lively and he is at least getting the chances even if he is not putting them all away.

A victory in Lancashire would be a major coup early in the season and Bruce will be aiming for that but he won’t put everything on the line for victory this early into the season.

In other West Brom news, the club have made contact with this African international who has become an outcast at his Premier League club.