Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Thu 16 April 2026 7:00, UK

West Bromwich Albion are back in Championship action on Saturday as they take on Preston North End at Deepdale.

The Baggies played out a 0-0 draw with Millwall on Friday, extending their unbeaten run to seven league matches.

Though in the aftermath, Albion fans were sent into panic as they were charged with an alleged breach of the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules.

As a result, a potential points deduction looms for James Morrison’s side, who currently sit two points clear of the drop zone.

Looking to pick up points to avoid relegation repercussions as a result of a possible deduction, wins are becoming a must for West Brom at this stage of the season.

Daryl Dike to retain place after Millwall performance

Albion striker Daryl Dike has had a torrid time since his 2022 move.

Suffering injury after injury, the American has never been the star signing that fans at The Hawthorns expected, though he is beginning to offer some hope up top amid the survival push – despite the forward going without a goal since the final day of last season.

Against Millwall, Dike would put in a lively performance.

Alongside strike partner Aune Heggebo, the American would lead the line well, occupying defenders, while he simply looked sharp in general.

After making his first start in six, Dike could be thrown into the lineup once again as the Albion take on Preston.

Alex Mowatt made his first start of the unbeaten run against Millwall, seeing Jayson Molumby operate in a more unfamiliar position out on the flank.

Going into the weekend, Aston Villa loanee Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba could come back in as a more orthodox wideman, with the threat of Mowatt available from the bench.

West Brom will consider themselves unfortunate for not taking all three points against Millwall, with the performance once again showcasing their ability to compete against the division’s promotion chasers.

With this in mind, more of the same is applicable for Morrison.

West Brom have to collect points haul amid deduction uncertainty

While the Baggies are unbeaten in seven, they have not been able to pull too far away from the bottom three, with a win for Oxford over the weekend cutting the gap to two, while Portsmouth have won successive matches against Middlesbrough and Ipswich.

Across that run, Morrison’s side have picked up too many draws, with three coming successively in recent weeks.

And while a points deduction is something that Albion will be looking to avoid, it is still a possibility that cannot be ignored.

The task for the coming weeks is to continue adding points to the tally, with converting draws into wins becoming critical.

If points are taken away, West Brom need to ensure that they have amassed a tally high enough to keep them out of trouble, no matter the circumstance, come May.