Nathaniel Chalobah and Brandon Thomas-Asante to be axed in four changes – West Brom predicted XI v Ipswich
Carlos Corberan could be set to axe both Nathaniel Chalobah and Brandon Thomas-Asante as West Brom prepares to take on Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town on Saturday (25 November).
The Baggies will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Kieran McKenna’s men at The Hawthorns on Saturday after they suffered a undeserved defeat against Southampton before the international break.
West Brom saw their four-game unbeaten run come to an unfortunate end as they suffered a 2-1 defeat – a result which dropped them out of the top six and the Baggies will be looking for a swift return should they record an impressive win against one of the division’s best.
And for that to happen, Corberan will aim to put out a team with a steely and organised approach but also incredibly threatening on the counter and that could see senior stars Thomas-Asante, Chalobah, Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend axed as a result.
The Spaniard may well be tempted to return to the rigid 3-5-2 formation which proved successful so far this season and it is one setup which could be the best way to stifle and counter Ipswich’s threat in possession.
Alex Palmer should continue in goal on the back of his impressive form this season, having conceded 17 goals in 16 games and registering seven clean sheets along the way.
After the injury he picked up against QPR proved to be nowhere near as serious as originally feared, Cedric Kipre will once again start on the right-hand side of the back three and will be joined by Kyle Bartley and Erik Pieters in a much-changed but solid defensive unit.
Corberan has made some slight alterations to his backline during this campaign and one of those came against Coventry Pipa was handed his Baggies debut but Darnell Furlong returned against Hull City and Southampton – a change that proved unsuccessful so the Spanish full-back may be handed a start at right wing-back.
Matt Phillips has nailed down the place at left wing-back this season and he looks a certainty to keep his spot for the Southampton clash after some stunning individual form, recording two goals and two assists in his last eight appearances for the Baggies [SofaScore].
In midfield, Molumby hasn’t started for the Baggies since September, regularly appearing from the bench since then but Corberan will desperately need his industry and aggression against the Tractor boys, and the Irish midfielder will be looking to impress given his limited minutes this season.
The Spaniard may well have been tempted to start with Nathaniel Chalobah again but the former Watford man has been disappointing in recent games, especially against the Saints before being withdrawn on 56 minutes which may hand Molumby a start in midfield alongside Okay Yokuslu and Alex Mowatt.
In attack, Brandon Thomas-Asante should be axed for the game after his inconsistencies continued against Southampton with another blank.
The striker only touched the ball 27 times against the Saints, won just three of his eleven duels and missed two big chances [SofaScore] in another wasteful display.
As a result, Corberan will more than likely return to the attacking setup which has proved successful in recent weeks, with the in-from Grady Diangana partnering Jed Wallace in the attack.
The Spaniard will also likely have both Josh Maja and John Swift available to him after injury but would certainly start on the bench if they were to return, regardless, it is a huge boost to have both players back and ready to feature when needed.
In other West Brom news, a football expert has been left stunned after behind-the-scenes news has emerged at Hawthorns over the past few months.