West Brom v Leeds: Baggies boss not fooled by Leeds’ stuttering start

The Baggies return to The Hawthorns, where they set to be welcomed by a near-sell out crowd, to face Corberan’s former club Leeds, last season’s beaten play-off finalists.

It has been a difficult summer and opening to the campaign for Daniel Farke, who has lost key men Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville to Tottenham and West Ham respectively. Earlier this week Brighton activated a £40million release clause in the contract of talisman Georginio Rutter.

On the pitch, Farke’s men scraped a chaotic 3-3 draw against newly-promoted Portsmouth last weekend before a comprehensive home EFL Cup defeat to league rivals Middlesbrough in midweek.

But Corberan said: “I think in the first year after the Premier League you can probably keep some players from the Premier League. They were a Premier League club for me (last year), because after three years in the Premier League they built a Premier League squad.

“The fact they could keep some Premier League players last year probably affected them to lose some this year, but I think they are one of the two best squads in the Championship right now.

“Analysing now, probably Burnley, Leeds and Sheffield (United), and probably Luton after relegation... but I don’t think Leeds is at the back (of that group) in terms of quality players, they are not behind the three relegated teams.”

Corberan added of Leeds’ recent results: “When you see their game against Portsmouth, Portsmouth’s accuracy was probably 100 per cent, the three chances they scored. Leeds’ accuracy was 20 or 30 per cent.

“When this happens, sometimes they happen in football. In minute 92 they conceded a goal and after with just three it was enough to have the big chance (missed). Is that a Farke mistake? No way. They were too close (to a winner).

“In the cup they had more of the ball and chances, but suffered in transitions in the same level we suffered against Fleetwood. They were dominant, but when you are dominant you need to be balanced and not unbalanced.

“I expect a stronger Leeds than the Leeds that was playing against Middlesbrough.”

Corberan knows Rutter would be a loss for the Elland Road visitors but added Farke has more than enough quality at his disposal to replace the Frenchman.

He said: “Rutter has been an important player for them last year? One hundred per cent because they brought him in the Premier League and probably he was too young to impact at that level when signed in January.

“Now a Premier League club has interest and I don’t know what is going to happen. If he doesn’t play you have (Brenden) Aaronson, another Premier League player in my opinion, or (Willy) Gnonto, another Premier League player and international with Italy. They have solutions.”

Albion, meanwhile, are boosted by the return to contention of attacking duo Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana (both calf). The latter, who has missed a lengthier period of pre-season, netted the winner in this fixture last winter. Both are likely to make the bench at best.

“I will be happy when both players are ready to perform,” Corberan said. “We know that Grady didn’t make a pre-season because he arrived with the injury. Wallace did part of the pre-season, not a full one. He had the problem during pre-season so it is a similar feeling but it is always good to recover players.