MATCH FACTS
THE OPPOSITION
West Bromwich Albion are the Sky Bet Championship pace-setters approaching the halfway mark with their attacking brand of football winning many admirers.
Slaven Bilic's side have found the net 45 times in 22 games, ten more than anyone else in the division, and have lost just once this term, that coming away at Leeds United in early October. The Baggies are unbeaten in their ten home league games but it hasn't all been smooth sailing on home soil. Only five clubs have conceded more home goals than West Brom and The Baggies have needed 88th, 90th, and 81st minute goals in three of their last five victories.
More often that not, those goals have come from the boot of Charlie Austin. The 30-year-old has netted in each of his last five outings, including two last time out as The Baggies came from 2-1 behind to beat Birmingham City at St Andrew's.
THE MANAGER
Slaven Bilić was announced as West Bromwich Albion's new manager in June, tasked with returning The Baggies to the top flight.
The Croatian defender began his career in 1988 with hometown club Hajduk Split, later having successful spells with Karlsruher SC, West Ham United and Everton. At international level, Bilić won 44 caps between 1992 and 1999, playing in Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, helping the team to third place at the latter tournament.
Bilić returned to Hajduk in 1999 and retired two years later. Following a short spell in charge of the team during the 2001-02 season, Bilić coached the Croatian Under-21s before stepping up to the senior side in 2006. He led the team to the quarter-finals of the 2008 European Championship and left after the next edition four years later. Lokomotiv Moscow was next on his CV before he spent two years apiece managing Turkish club Beşiktaş and West Ham. A five month spell with Saudi side Al-Ittihad, which ended in February 2019 after just three wins in 15 games, preceded his arrival in the West Midlands.
TEAM NEWS
Joel Valencia is back in training and may be able to be involved at The Hawthorns tomorrow. Sergi Canos and Nikos Karelis are still out long-term but there are no new injuries.
West Bromwich Albion will be without influential loanee Grady Diangana and left-back Kieran Gibbs for Saturday's game, the pair missing with back and hamstring injuries respectively.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
🆚 Birmingham Live's Joe Chapman with the inside track on The Baggies
⚖ Darren Bond will be the man in charge on Saturday
MEMORABLE MEETING
TICKET INFO
Advanced sales end at 2pm on Friday while tickets will be available on matchday, cash only, from the kiosk next to the away turnstiles block:
Buy online
HOW TO FOLLOW
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