Tony Mowbray explains West Brom's Isaac Price and Torbjorn Heggem fitness "gamble"

Midfielder Price was expected to miss an extended period with ankle ligament damage but was surprisingly selected by the head coach in the starting XI at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.

Price, who missed Saturday's defeat against Sunderland, was selected at the tip of a midfield diamond in the first half before being shifted out to the right after the break. He was unable to help the Baggies succumb to a last-gasp defeat to the Robins.

Mowbray told the Express & Star that while Northern Irishman Price could have missed two weeks to fully recover, Albion's play-off push had to take priority with a gamble to use versatile midfielder. Top-six hopes have taken a significant hit in the last few weeks following three defeats on the spin for Mowbray's men.

"Price ... I said to him we're at a stage where we have to gamble, really, over injuries," Mowbray said. "So he could've had a two-week break to get him back to 100 per cent ready, but it was worth strapping him up and sending him out there."

The head coach added of the change of system, with Price central between forwards Adam Armstrong and Karlan Grant: "We asked him to play a different role, we played wide strikers and a diamond in midfield to try to dislodge their shape. They are very energetic and play with a lot of intensity.

"It didn't really give them enough problems in the first half so we reverted, put our wingers on and gained control, I felt if any team was going to win it (it was us), the crowd were really quiet for parts of the second half and then it finished on a crescendo.

"They play wing-backs, switch the play, we were trying to stop them forcing it down one side and play with wide strikers to break away with the speed and athleticism of Grant and Armstrong running against outside central defenders. We started pretty well with it but before we got to half-time I knew we had to change the formation and shape, we'd had one hour, not even a day to try to work with it, I don't think the players knew their roles well enough, when to press and when to cut off passing lines.

"It felt as if the gamble didn't really pay off in the first half, it was a formation I've played a lot against back threes but this group haven't ever done it, it's difficult to get everybody's job into them in one hour, so we went back to something they all know and we got more momentum."

Influential defender Heggem missed out with an ankle injury after hobbling off against Sunderland last weekend.

Mowbray suggested the centre-back could make a return in time for Saturday's home clash against Watford, with just five matches of the season left and little room for error for Albion.

"Obviously Heggem's miss is a big miss for this football team," he said.

"I'm not sure. If there was a chance he could've played tonight (he would have). He should've come off at half-time the other day to be honest. I call them soldiers and artists - he's a soldier, he keeps going.

"I took him off with 10 minutes to go because we tried to protect him to get him out here tonight but it wasn't the case, it swollen up and is pretty stiff and sore.

"I don't think it's a six-weeker, let's see. Modern-day football there are lots of ways to get players on the pitch if you have to and we're at that stage where if it's a gamble we might take it, but you've got to look after the players of course. It's a balance the medical department and myself will discuss."

Midfielder Ousmane Diakite also suffered an injury in the closing stages at Ashton Gate. The Malian suffered a severe cut to his shin and ankle shortly before Jayson Molumby's red card. Albion were irritated play had not been stopped by referee Matt Donohue despite Diakite down for at least a minute shortly before stoppage time.

Molumby saw red his challenge, where his studs raked down the a Robins player's Achilles, just afterwards, before City's Haydon Roberts netted the winner with seconds of stoppage time left. Irishman Molumby will serve a three-match ban, meaning Diakite's availability could be key against the Hornets on Saturday.