West Brom confirmed starting XI for Championship season opener v Blackburn Rovers
West Brom have confirmed their starting XI for their opening Championship fixture of the season against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday 5 August.
Jeremy Sarmiento has been named on the bench in the Baggies’ first starting lineup of the season, with Alex Palmer starting in goal after his transfer move away broke down. Brandon Thomas-Asante starts up top, as new boy Josh Maja doesn’t make the squad.
Grady Diangana misses out on today’s fixture due to injury troubles, amid plenty of talk regarding his future at the club, as do other long-term absentees Daryl Dike, Martin Kelly and Adam Reach.
Looking to get the season underway with a win
West Brom will be looking to start the season as they mean to go on with a win in their opening fixture, and a win would do their confidence no harm after what has been a turbulent summer at The Hawthorns.
The opening stages of the season are always a good way to set the mentality going forwards, with a win likely to inspire confidence that could be carried through the next few fixtures as the Baggies look to mount a promotion push yet again.
After losing some key players this summer such as key defender Dara O’Shea, and further change still likely, the opening fixture will be an opportunity to banish those ghosts and any negative thoughts surrounding the squad this summer.
The club are still expecting further movement in the transfer market after the season begins, with the transfer window open until 1 September, having been linked to Jonathan Panzo [Darren Witcoop, 2 August], Lewis O’Brien [Birmingham Live, 3 August] and Sory Kaba [Mirror, 1 August] in recent days.
In other West Brom news, the club can rest easy after recent transfer news provides respite.