West Brom v Preston North End – Preview

But there is no let-up for Albion as they prepare to welcome play-off chasing Preston North End to The Hawthorns tonight.

The Baggies have so far enjoyed a spectacular February which started with a comfortable home win over Luton.

It’s their four performances since, though, that have made them the favourites to win the Championship title this year.

Millwall, Reading, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City have all been outclassed – even if Forest did somehow escape the West Midlands with a point.

In all of those games, Slaven Bilic’s side has looked wonderfully well-balanced.

But that balance could be tested tonight with Romaine Sawyers missing the first of three games following his red card at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Sawyers has been hugely impressive ever since rejoining the club from Brentford in the summer.

There are those who feel his form has tailed off since the turn of the year.

But in the ‘quarter-back’ role in Albion’s midfield three, there is no doubt that – even on a quiet day – the midfielder is still key to how Bilic wants to play.

The statistics certainly show that.

Sawyers’ pass completion rate for this season stands at a whopping 90.2 per cent.

There is only one player in the Championship who has a better score. That is Harry Arter at Fulham who sits on 91 per cent.

But when you take into account Sawyers has started 32 games compared to Arter’s 11, it’s clear it’s actually the Albion man who has been the most accurate passer of the ball in the division this year.

Bilic has to find someone who can step in and keep the ball moving just as effectively.

And he has plenty of options.

Gareth Barry, on paper, would seem the most logical choice and the 38-year-old is fit having recovered from a calf problem.

But he is massively short of match practice with his last start coming at West Ham on January 25 while he has played just 89 Championship minutes all season.

Bilic had hoped the former England man would play for the under-23s last Monday.

But that match fell foul of the weather. And the head coach will now have to assess whether Barry can be thrown straight in.

Chris Brunt is in a similar position having also been forced to miss that under-23 game.

But it in recent weeks it has been Rekeem Harper who has forced his way on to the subs’ bench ahead of Albion’s two seasoned pros.

And it may be that the 19-year-old now gets a rare chance to show what he can do from the off.

If he does it will be interesting to see if Bilic uses him as a like-for-like replacement for Sawyers. Sitting just in front of the back four, the head coach may feel Harper doesn’t have the experience needed for the role.

And with Filip Krovinovic technically similar to Sawyers, he may be asked to fill in as the team’s deep-lying playmaker.

That would allow Harper to play alongside Jake Livermore in a more advanced role.

It would also mean the Baggies have plenty of energy in midfield – something that could prove hugely useful against a North End side who had to dig deep to secure a 2-1 win over Hull on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Bilic is expected to name the same side that impressed at Bristol City.

And that means Ahmed Hegazi continuing alongside Semi Ajayi at the heart of the defence.

The head coach had previously named the same team for four games in a row prior to the trip to Ashton Gate.

But Kyle Bartley made a couple of high profile errors against Reading and Millwall.

And that meant Hegazi was given the nod with Bilic revealing the 29-year-old has been hugely impressive in training recently.

“His work rate in training made me give him a chance,” Bilic revealed. Barts has had a great season, but Ahmed deserved his chance. We need everyone though. So far we have needed everybody and from now on we’re going to need everybody.”