Maja starts, new signing benched – West Brom predicted XI v Rayo Vallecano
West Brom continued their disappointing pre-season with a 4-2 loss away to Lincoln City last weekend.
Ryan Mason’s side fell behind inside the opening minute at Sincil Bank (26 July), and they were never really in the game against their third-tier opponents as the 90 minutes wore on.
There was plenty of optimism at The Hawthorns when Mason was appointed, but frustration is quickly starting to set in among the Baggies faithful.
The B71 outfit wrap up their summer preparations against Rayo Vallecano at The Hawthorns on Saturday (2 August), and with that in mind, West Brom News predicts the starting XI for the visit of the Spanish outfit.
Josh Maja makes first start since January as Aune Heggebo benched v Rayo Vallecano
Josh Maja’s return to action was one of the few positives for West Brom in their defeat last time out, and the striker could be ready to take the next step in his return to action against the La Liga side.
The 26-year-old replaced Isaac Price in the latter stages of the Lincoln game, as he got his first minutes under his belt since 4 January.
Maja’s absence was a major contributor to the Baggies’ downfall in the latter stages of the 2024/25 campaign, but he is now seemingly nearing the end of his long road to recovery.
- Maja hasn’t started for West Brom since 4 January
- He hit 12 goals from just 26 Championship appearances in 2024/25
- Maja ended as the Baggies’ top scorer, despite missing their last 20 league games
Mason must be careful to ensure he doesn’t give the frontman too big a workload too early into his return, but after a cameo last time out, he could be in line to start at the weekend, even if he only features for 45 minutes or an hour.
Aune Heggebo has struggled to make an impact so far since his £4.75million move, and the Norwegian is likely to drop to the bench in place of Maja against the Madrid-based outfit.
Elsewhere, Mason is likely to name a similar side to the one which turned out against Lincoln, as the former Spurs boss bids to establish a level of continuity and familiarity within the group.
West Brom need a win
Mason has understandably come under plenty of scrutiny already at West Brom, given that it is his first managerial job in senior men’s football.
Ultimately, the 33-year-old will know that pre-season results are no indication of how his side’s season will pan out, even if he may already feel as though there is a weight piling on his shoulders.
A win to round off the Baggies’ summer preparations would do the new boss the world of good, and would also help to ease a few of the nerves and concerns that have set in over the last few weeks.
Mason is a capable coach, and he certainly has a competitive squad at his disposal by Championship standards.
The West Midlands outfit shouldn’t be concerned about the early stages of his tenure, but a victory could go a long way towards injecting a little more positivity ahead of the return to competitive action.
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