West Brom host Sunderland at The Hawthorns in a pivotal clash in the race for Sky Bet Championship play-offs.
Victory would see West Brom climb to fifth in the table, whilst Sunderland will leapfrog the Baggies with a win and go sixth.
Team News
Nathaniel Chalobah is ruled out for West Brom after he suffered an ankle injury during their midweek win at Blackpool.
Okay Yokuslu (ankle) and Kyle Bartley (hamstring) are doubts and both players face late fitness tests.
Kean Bryan, Dara O’Shea, Martin Kelly (all knee), Grady Diagana (foot) and Matt Phillips (quad) remain absent.
Sunderland will be without Danny Batth for remainder of this season after the defender suffered a knee injury during their 1-1 draw against Huddersfield in midweek.
Dennis Cirkin will return from suspension whilst Edouard Michut (back) faces a late fitness test.
Dan Ballard (hamstring), Aji Alese (thigh), Corry Evans (knee), Elliot Embleton (ankle) and Ross Stewart (Achilles) remain absent indefinitely.
When is Kick-Off?
West Brom host Sunderland in a 12pm BST kick-off at The Hawthorns on Sunrday 23 April, live on Sky Sports in UK.
Stat Attack
- West Brom are unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Sunderland (W3, D4).
- Sunderland have claimed just one point from their last eight visits to West Brom (D1, L7).
- West Brom have kept clean sheets in three of their last four home matches against Sunderland.
- Brandon Thomas-Asante has converted seven of his 14 shots on target into goals this season for West Brom, of which they only lost one game in which he scored (W4, D2, L1).
- Sunderland have kept four clean sheets in their last six away games (W3, D1, L2).
Prediction
Having clinically dispatched Blackpool in midweek with two excellent goals, West Brom now enter this game knowing that a win would put them into the play-off spots with just over two weeks left of the season – plus with a game in hand at Sheffield United on Wednesday evening.
Sunderland though are unbeaten in their last six matches and when not winning, they know how to dig out those vital draws which could well be crucial come the final day but I feel that they will need some wins to help boost their play-off chances.
Tony Mowbray’s Black Cats have also managed to keep clean sheets in their last three away games but The Hawthorns has been a hoodoo away ground for them, so it will be a tough ask to keep a clean sheet.
A draw though would be a fair result if both teams are at their best but West Brom do seem to have found their scoring boots with two goals in each of their last three games, whereas Sunderland have their own selection issues due to various injuries especially in defence.
As much as I think a draw could be the likely outcome, I just can’t help but feel that West Brom could just have enough in them for the win if they continue their recent form.
Prediction: WBA 2-1 Sunderland
Result: WBA 1-2 Sunderland
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