West Brom vs Stoke City
Venue: The Hawthorns
Kick off: 4pm
Nigerian duo of Brown Ideye and Victor Moses will on Saturday file out for their respective clubs as West Bromwich Albion welcome Stoke City to the Hawthorns this Saturday.
Just as the Nigerians do battle, Stoke City’s past would also meet its future as Mark Hughes takes his side to Tony Pulis’s West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League.
Hughes is building on the great work that his Welsh compatriot did during his seven years at the Britannia Stadium and currently has them eighth in the table.
A 2-0 win over Everton in their last outing on March 4 marked the first time this season that the Potters had managed to string together three successive top-flight wins.
The continuation of this form would likely see them surpass their previous best Premier League points total of 50 – achieved during their ninth-place finish of last term.
The best that Pulis could manage in his five seasons in charge of Stoke at the highest level was 47 points and 11th position, targets which may not be out of Albion’s reach with 10 games remaining in the current campaign.
Although undoubtedly bruised by consecutive Midlands derby defeats to Aston Villa and their consequent FA Cup quarter-final elimination, the Baggies will be aiming high considering their improvement under Pulis.
Five clean sheets and only two defeats in nine league games since his appointment leave West Brom 13th in the standings and eight points clear of the drop zone, with their relegation worries now seemingly behind them.
They were only one point above water following their 2-0 loss to Stoke in December’s reverse fixture, in which Mame Biram Diouf scored twice to bring to an end Alan Irvine’s brief tenure at The Hawthorns.
That was Albion’s fifth straight game without victory against the Potters, although they will take confidence from the fact that Pulis masterminded success over his former club while he was keeping Crystal Palace up last season.
Saido Berahino and Ideye are both carrying knocks but will start up front due to Victor Anichebe’s groin strain.
Stephane Sessegnon is available again and will be on the bench alongside Boaz Myhill as Ben Foster returns in goal.
Stoke’s injury concerns are at the other end of the pitch as Philipp Wollscheid limped off in the first half of their victory over the Toffees to join Marc Muniesa and Ryan Shawcross on their list of defensive fitness doubts.
Both the German and captain Shawcross, who has missed the club’s last six matches, face late fitness tests, with Geoff Cameron on standby.
Bojan, Stephen Ireland and ex-Baggie Peter Odemwingie definitely remain sidelined.
Hughes’s main selection dilemma is whether to lead the line with Peter Crouch or Diouf, who scored off the bench last time out.
The Senegalese could also be slotted in behind Crouch at the expense of Charlie Adam.
West Brom possible starting lineup: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt; Morrison, Fletcher, Gardner, McManaman; Berahino, Ideye
Stoke possible starting lineup: Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters; N’Zonzi, Whelan; Moses, Diouf, Walters; Crouch.
