Kyle Bartley to start – West Brom predicted XI v Southampton
West Brom will pit themselves against Southampton on Friday with Carlos Corberan likely to opt for an unchanged side at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Albion head down to the South Coast to resume battle with Russell Martin’s Saints with the tie goalless at its halfway point, making the place at Wembley wide open.
Corberan is expected to name an unchanged side – the 11 players that started the first leg have been regular starters in recent weeks – and it’s unlikely the Baggies boss will change his gameplan too much at such a crucial point.
There is plenty of firepower on the bench, though Corberan did not turn to those players until late on during Sunday’s game – though with extra time a possibility, the impact players at his disposal may become game-changers.
Should West Brom go unchanged against Southampton?
To suggest an unchanged line-up would be a given is a stretch, as Albion possess a strong depth – similarly to their opponents – with the likes of Jed Wallace and John Swift perfectly capable and experienced at Championship level.
The main advantage of a settled side for Corberan, though, is to pick up where they left off and look to use that attribute of hard work ethic in and out of possession in a game where it will come to the fore.
This second leg is likely to represent a chess match where one goal could decide who marches to the arch against either Leeds United or Norwich City. The pressure tilts further towards favourites Southampton, but Corberan will be quietly confident.
A settled back four of Darnell Furlong, Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre and Conor Townsend are almost certain to start – unless there are any injury concerns – following another clean sheet in the first leg, and with Josh Maja potentially returning to the squad, he could join the group of potential match-winners on the bench with Brandon Thomas-Asante almost sure to spearhead the attack.
In other West Brom news, Shilen Patel shared what he has to say about Albion fans in Sunday’s first leg stalemate.
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