Coventry City v West Brom: No free hit at leaders as Baggies enter crucial week
Some ominous fixtures have loomed large during this international break.
Albion fans have been grateful for the fortnight switch-off given the recent struggle, albeit their side at least signed off for the break with that much-needed home success over Oxford.
The prospect of what lay ahead on the other side of the November break was not lost on anybody of a Baggies persuasion.
The trip to freescoring early runaway Championship leaders Coventry is without doubt the toughest fixture in the division at the moment.
And, just days later, a home clash under the light against Birmingham. Albion versus Blues is not traditionally the most heated West Midlands derby, but the second city side have become noisy neighbours in recent years and will relish making a racket at The Hawthorns. Home fans will relish it less so.
None of that will be the case for head coach Ryan Mason, though. He will stress calm within the club in his Friday afternoon press conference ahead of the Coventry trip and see it as an opportunity to halt the Sky Blues' progress.
There has been some discourse about whether the clash at the CBS Arena on Saturday lunchtime comes as a free hit for the visitors given Frank Lampard's side have already pocketed 13 more points than Albion and scored comfortably more than double the goals.
