West Brom notebook: Possible transfer deadline arrivals and departures

Midfielder Toby Collyer became recruit number nine on Sunday, 24 hours after the 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. James Morrison’s ranks could change further still before early Championship leaders Charlton come to The Hawthorns on Wednesday.

Additions?

Boss Morrison has suggested he would ideally like two players for every position. He hinted a couple of weeks ago that may be a stretch for Albion this window - but the squad is now not too far from that depth.

The areas where it is weaker are relatively clear.

The head coach would like another centre-forward option. Summer signing Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Aune Heggebo have started the campaign well.

In support is Barney Stewart, though the 22-year-old £1.2million signing from Falkirk is raw, having rose through the levels dramatically in Scotland.

Stewart is a project and will take time. Albion are otherwise short in forward areas and need extra depth and competition to push Morgan and Heggebo, or cover for absences.

Rabby Nzingoula and Kareem Tunde have added welcome pace to the squad. A nippy frontman would be very useful.

The other position left potentially light is right-back, where summer recruit Nolan Galves is finding his feet after moving from France.

Galves, 23, is adjusting to a new league and culture, and often played wing-back in Ligue 2. Right-back is a slightly tweaked role. He has shown bright glimpses, but defensively he has been caught at times and there is work to do there.

The cover is currently Alex Williams and the 21-year-old academy graduate put in a fine display in the EFL Cup defeat at Premier League Newcastle last week.

Many see Williams as a very capable understudy, and even ready to play. Morrison is a big admirer, but Williams also currently lacks experience.

A right-back option with more nous, and potential capabilities to play in the middle, would be perfect.

Asked at the Riverside Stadium if he wanted further arrivals, Morrison said: “Yes, I'm hopeful and we're working hard, like I've always said, to get the right ones in.

“We have to be clever as well and patient, really, so we feel they're the right ones, so I'll be glad when the window shuts.”

Departures?

“I hope I don't lose any more, I would say, you never know when you're in football,” Morrison told the Express & Star in Teesside on Saturday.

The head coach is not blessed with a big squad. Quite the opposite. Respected football database resource Transfermarkt has Albion’s squad size at 23 - the lowest in the division. Two fewer than Blackburn, Watford and Stoke.

The head coach will hope that increases before 11pm on Tuesday. Exits are not, ideally, on his agenda.

Still, in football nothing is cut and dry. A Krystian Bielik sale was not probable despite the centre-back finding himself fourth-choice in the pecking order. But the £2.5m offer received from Cardiff was too strong to reject.

It is not impossible other first-team players attract interest before the deadline. Winger Mikey Johnston, still out injured after his mysterious ankle setback, and midfielder Jayson Molumby have both attracted interested suitors later this summer.

But Morrison will not want to weaker those departments so late in the window with so little time to react and the pool of options available much more shallow.

It promises to be an interesting final 36 to 48 hours or so.