Kyle Bartley starts, Jake Livermore out of squad – West Brom confirmed XI v Millwall
Richard Beale’s West Brom starting XI for the trip to south London to face Millwall in the Championship has been confirmed by the club.
The caretaker boss takes his side to one of the league’s in-form sides and he has rung the changes this time with five dropping out and a surprise first start for Kyle Bartley since his horror show in the derby day loss to Birmingham.
Jake Livermore, Martin Kelly and Brandon Thomas-Asante are gone from the squad entirely, While Conor Townsend and Grady Diangana have been benched.
Alex Palmer is in goal behind a back three of Dara O’Shea, Erik Pieters and the surprising return of Bartley, while Adam Reach and Darnell Furlong also come in.
Okay Yokuslu partners Taylor Gardner-Hickman with Livermore not in the match day squad, and John Swift returns to the XI on the other side from ever-present Jed Wallace, while Karlan Grant starts up top.
Rebound
The 2-0 win at Reading on 15 October in Beale’s first game in caretaker charge was the kind of performance that fans had been longing for in the increasingly miserable final weeks of Steve Bruce’s reign.
But having picked the same players for the visit of Bristol City three days later everyone came back to earth with a thud as the Baggies were beaten by the same scoreline.
At The Den they will be facing one of the names linked to the permanent manager’s role at the Hawthorns in Gary Rowett, while Jed Wallace makes a first trip back to his former side.
With the club thought to be closing in on a new manager imminently a positive result in this game would be the ideal welcome present from Beale and the players.
The Baggies are currently sitting in the relegation zone, having played more games than both the teams below them, Coventry and Huddersfield.
If they are to harbour even the slightest hopes of making a belated recovery and push for the playoffs then things need to improve very soon, and remain that way on a consistent basis.
Two wins all season is simply not good enough, but an away game at the Lions, who are eighth and on a three game winning streak following a change of formation will be a tough task.
In other West Brom news, talks have been held with an ex-Chelsea coach and he is keen on the job.