West Brom predicted XI v Bristol City: Adam Reach dropped as injured ace returns
Adam Reach could drop out of Carlos Corberan’s starting lineup for West Brom due to the return of Conor Townsend as Albion face Bristol City at The Hawthorns on 16 March.
Corberan is expected to make three changes to his team which won 4-1 away at Huddersfield last week as he looks to keep the strong run of home form alive in their bid for the playoffs.
With just nine regular Championship games to go, every win and every point is crucial if the club have promotion in mind, and a strong lineup must be named heading into every game.
West Brom predicted XI v Bristol City
Alex Palmer is expected to continue in goal where he has been so impressive this season, while the centre-back pairing of Cedric Kipre and Kyle Bartley should start in front of him.
Townsend had been missing since picking up a hamstring injury during the 2-1 win against Coventry at The Hawthorns, but Corberan suggested he could return before the international break. [Bimringham Live, 5 March] Reach would be the casualty, dropping out for his return.
On the opposite flank, Darnell Furlong is expected to continue, having avoided picking up a two-game suspension for accumulation of yellow cards.
In front of the defence, the pairing of Okay Yokuslu and Alex Mowatt which has proved so consistent under Corberan should remain in place, with Nathaniel Chalobah expected to remain on the bench for the Championship clash.
Grady Diangana has scored in two of his last three appearances for the Baggies and provided an assist against Huddersfield which should be enough to stave off competition from John Swift, who will likely remain on the bench.
Jed Wallace struggled last time out and was hooked after 75 minutes, having started on the right before moving up front to accommodate Tom Fellows. Fellows should take his place again at The Hawthorns with a starting place on the right wing.
Opposite him, Mikey Johnston’s impressive form since arriving in January has earned him high praise from fans and pundits both of Albion and parent club Celtic, and he should be given the opportunity to score his fifth goal in four games.
Leading the line, Brandon Thomas-Asante could return to the starting lineup in place of the struggling Andreas Weimann. Having returned to the bench last time out after recovering from a hamstring injury, he managed 15 minutes and could be primed to start on Saturday.
In other West Brom news, Shilen Patel has explained his reason for the takeover.
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