Carabao Cup preview- Accrington Stanley's small ground hosting big game for West Brom

But tonight’s trip to the smallest ground in the Football League is arguably the most important fixture of the opening few weeks.

The Baggies have bowed out of the last three cup competitions to lower-league opposition, and last season, failed to get past their first fixtures in both the League Cup and the FA Cup.

Tonight’s visit to League Two Accrington Stanley’s 5,057-capacity Wham Stadium mirrors that disappointing second round tie away at Northampton Town twelve months ago.

The Cobblers won that night on penalties, and the defeat did not go down with supporters in the Sixfields away end, some of whom stayed behind to make their feelings known to Tony Pulis.

One year later and fans are singing the head coach’s name for all the right reasons, particularly after two 1-0 wins got the league campaign off to a dream start.

But if Pulis wants to build on his growing reputation, then a deep cup run is needed.

When the ceiling of your realistic ambitions in a top-heavy league is to finish eighth, these competitions take on added significance.

Unfortunately, the financial importance of staying in the top tier has encouraged too many mid-table teams to abandon the cups because of looming Premier League fixtures. But lose a league game and you can put it right next week, lose a cup match and that’s it for a year.

Pulis took Stoke to the FA Cup final in 2011, but he hasn’t taken this particular competition seriously enough during his time at the Baggies.

Just over a week ago, when he was handed his contract extension, he said he wanted “to make a strong challenge in at least one of the major cup competitions.”

In recent years, that ‘one’ has been the FA Cup, but when all the big boys are concerned with title races and the Champions League, the League Cup offers established Premier League clubs like Albion a rare shot at glory.

When Pulis was asked about going deep in the cup this week, he said: “Everybody at the club knows my feelings on that.

“I’ll certainly be making it known to the players and the squad I pick to play that game.

“It’s going to be tough. We’ve seen over the years that we’ve not done very well against the smaller clubs so we have to make sure we prepare properly. Hopefully we don’t pick up any more injuries.”

Pulis’s team selection will speak volumes. That final phrase suggests he’ll have at least one eye on Stoke’s visit to The Hawthorns on Sunday, and when he was asked if he could afford to put out a strong team with such a small squad, he said: “We’ll see, I’ll look at everybody after the (Burnley) game and then we’ll take a view on it.”

Nacer Chadli is likely to feature, having not played a single minute in the opening two games following his fall-out with Pulis in the summer.

As is Salomon Rondon, who has been relegated down the pecking order but will be given an opportunity to stake his claim for a return to the first-team.

James Morrison is expected to return from his knee injury, but Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans, and Claudio Yacob are all set to miss the game with their various knocks.

With such a shallow squad, Pulis may be forced to play some of the kids, but another disappointing exit to lower-league opposition will infuriate.

Football is about glory, not money, and after seven seasons of growing familiar with the Premier League, the fans are clamouring for something different to excite them.

Likely line-ups

Accrington Stanley (4-4-2): Jorgensen; Donacien, Hughes, Richards-Everton, Beckles; Clark, Conneely (c), Nolan, McConvill; Jackson, Kee.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Foster; Nyom, Dawson, Hegazi, Brunt; Livermore (c), Field; McClean, Morrison, Chadli; Rondon.

Big match prediction

Away win