Heggem, Patel and the big 'major' return: Three things you may have missed in West Brom's EFL exit
It ended up being a night that won't be remembered as Albion were dumped out of the EFL Cup on penalties.
After looking likely to go through for much of the second period - Derby hit back in injury time before going on to win on spot kicks.
It was a cruel blow for Albion who were the better side over the 90 minutes, but were punished for not finishing their chances.
Jonny Drury takes a look at a few things you may have missed in the game:
Rotation but transfer target left out
Ryan Mason changed half of his side up for the game - with those left out making up the substitutes bench.
However, there was one notable absentee in the form of Torbjorn Heggem. The defender, subject of a £10m bid from Bologna earlier this month was left out of the squad altogether.
Whether that indicates that there may be developments in that potential exit remains to be seen.
One school of thought before the game could have been that him being left out completely is the club not wanting to take any bigger risks if a potential is on the cards.
However, after the game Ryan Mason was strong on the fact he was a rotation issue. But it did create a bit of pre-game debate.
More support from Mr Patel
Albion's owners support and commitment to the club since his takeover in February 2024 has been well documented.
But his attendance on Saturday was a massive statement for Mason and offered him a good backing heading into the season.
And he was spotted in the director's box, and talking to fans before the game again.
Given it has become a bit more regular as time has gone on since his arrival, it may be underestimated by some.
But I doubt it will be with Mason. It is a huge show of support for the new Albion coach to have an overseas owner here for what is arguably the biggest week of his managerial career.
The big, long awaited return
There were a few bigger stories on the night. Alex Williams' impressive debut after his surprise inclusion.
And then Aune Heggebo's first goal in the stripes.
But arguably one of the best moments of the game came late on, when Josh Maja was brought on to a superb reception from Albion fans.
There crowd may not have been too big - but the noise was superb.
It has been a long awaited return for the striker, who has been out since New Years Day. His road back has been long and no doubt painful, so his return was massive.
He did almost make an impact and get on the scoresheet was denied by Josh Vickers. He did hit the post in the shoot-out but him being back is a big plus.
A super moment - and a big one for Mason as he now has two first choice strikers available to choose from.
