West Brom vs Derby preview: Team news, lineups, supercomputer prediction
West Brom will look to revive a play-off bid which is effectively dead in the water when they take on Derby County at The Hawthorns.
Following Good Friday’s 2-0 defeat at fellow top-six competitors Coventry City, Albion are now in a rut which appears too late in the season to turn around as Derby come calling on Easter Monday.
Tony Mowbray’s men approach the contest back on home turf with just one win in their last seven, and face a Derby side on the brink of the relegation zone after their 1-0 home defeat by Luton Town.
West Brom v Derby preview
West Brom have hit horrendous form at the worst time, and now sit six points adrift of a play-off berth in which they were fully involved just weeks ago.
Supporters have reacted with hostility to a constant stream of dropped points, tactical confusion and ill discipline throughout their side, who are now firmly outsiders for any hope of the play-offs.
| POS | Championship table 2024-25 | PLD | PTS | GD |
| 5 | Bristol City | 43 | 67 | +10 |
| 6 | Coventry | 43 | 66 | +7 |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 43 | 63 | +11 |
| 8 | WEST BROM | 43 | 60 | +10 |
| 9 | Millwall | 43 | 60 | -3 |
| 10 | Blackburn | 43 | 59 | +3 |
The last two away defeats for the Baggies have critically come against Bristol City and Coventry, who now occupy the last two remaining top-six spots up for grabs.
Derby, managed by former Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace who was in fact linked to West Brom after Carlos Corberan’s exit, are on the precipice when it comes to survival.
They are the right side of the dotted line only on goal difference, having passed up a golden opportunity to move clear of Luton in 22nd.
West Brom v Derby team news
West Brom will be without Callum Styles for Monday’s clash, having suffered from the latest of numerous red cards this season. Styles was shown a second booking early in the second half at Coventry on Friday.
Jayson Molumby also remains suspended, as the Irishman serves the last of his three-game ban after a dismissal at Bristol City which has summed up the past few weeks for Albion.
Josh Maja is making progress in training, according to Mowbray, but is in a race against time to make an appearance before the end of the campaign.
Ousmane Diakite featured for the final quarter of the loss at Coventry despite being doubtful and missing the previous win over Watford (12 April), but Tammer Bany remains doubtful, and Semi Ajayi is also still recovering.
Derby have a long list of injuries which Eustace is battling with, which was made worse when senior statesman Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was forced off just 15 minutes into the Luton contest.
Curtis Nelson, Ryan Nyambe and Corey Blackett-Taylor are among those also sidelined.
Predicted line-ups
West Brom: Griffiths, Furlong, Bartley, Holgate, Heggem, Price, Mowatt, Fellows, Grant, Diangana, Armstrong.
Derby: Vickers, Langas, Phillips, Clarke, Wilson, Adams, Armstrong, Forsyth, Jackson, Harness, Yates.
Championship form guide
West Brom: LWLLL
Derby: LDDLW
West Brom vs Derby supercomputer prediction
Despite West Brom’s sluggish form and lack of realistic chance at the top six, Opta’s supercomputer has ranked the Baggies as considerable favourites for Monday.
The algorithm has conjured up a 56.1 per cent probability that Mowbray‘s side will come out on top, compared to just a 21.2 per cent chance for Derby.
The draw is therefore calculated at 22.7 per cent, with the Albion out to avenge the 2-1 defeat on Boxing Day at Pride Park between the two sides.