A win for Villa will help kick-start their season as Dean Smith's men look to make a late run at the play-offs.

An Albion win keeps them within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots.

Villa reporter Matt Maher and Albion reporter Matt Wilson preview the big game.

Aston Villa

Villa will host Albion tomorrow desperately needing to kick-start a season stuck in neutral ever since they last faced their oldest rivals two months ago.

As the clock ticked towards full-time at The Hawthorns on December 7, Villa looked well on course to confirm their status as a force to be reckoned with under Dean Smith.

Leading 2-1 thanks to Anwar El Ghazi’s rocket and unfortunate not to be ahead by more, a third straight victory away to a promotion rivals appeared within their grasp.

Jay Rodriguez’s controversial stoppage-time equaliser would, of course, put paid to that.

But it is what happened shortly before which has had by far the biggest impact in derailing Villa’s campaign.

Those travelling supporters who saluted Jack Grealish as he walked to the touchline, after being substituted in the 87th minute, could never have guessed they would still now be waiting to see the 23-year-old’s next Villa appearance.

It is too simplistic to put all of the team’s subsequent problems down to their talisman’s bone stress injury.

The loss just a week later of Axel Tuanzebe, another of Villa’s most confident players in possession, has also been keenly felt.

Even so, it is difficult not to view Grealish’s exit as a watershed moment in a season during which, for a few brief weeks prior to that night at The Hawthorns, the possibilities had begun to look endless.

Villa have won just two of their next 11 matches and the irresistible attacking force which bulldozed its way past Derby and Middlesbrough now looks a shadow of its former self.

True, Villa remain among the Championship’s most potent outfits. But a return of 15 goals in those 11 games since losing Grealish rather pales in comparison with the 17 they plundered in five fixtures leading up to and including the 2-2 draw at Albion.

Throw in a defence which has struggled all season to keep goals out at the other end and it is not hard to see why results have suddenly dried up.

Yet it is not just the statistics which tell the story. Villa have also been failing the eye test. Gone is the confidence and – most crucially – cohesion which saw them put Derby and Boro to the sword.

Villa’s troubles are best summed up by the drastic decline in production from their wide players.

Back in early December, that appeared to be the team’s strongest department. Yet Albert Adomah, Jonathan Kodjia and Anwar El Ghazi have all suffered from a severe drop in form, while Yannick Bolasie is no longer at the club.

Smith’s current lack of faith in his wingers was summed up by the second-half introduction of Ahmed Elmohamady at Brentford.

Questions will rightly be asked of why the head coach has been unable to find an effective and consistent formula to cope with the loss of Grealish.

Initially, Smith chose to persist with the same attacking formation, pushing Conor Hourihane and then Birkir Bjarnason further forward. Both proved to be ineffective understudies in a midfield which, without Grealish, lacks a link man. The continued absence of Henri Lansbury through injury is something else which hasn’t helped in that respect. Neither does the January window appear to have delivered the reinforcements required. Tom Carroll, the only midfielder to arrive, is already in the treatment room.

Tomorrow’s derby begins a run of fixtures which again pits them against the division’s leading lights. Derby, Forest, Blues and Boro are all feature on the schedule over the next four weeks. Such a sequence should only be seen as an opportunity which, if negotiated well, would put Villa right back in the hunt. No question, it is going to require something special to salvage the season from here.

Matt Maher prediction: Score draw

West Brom

Darren Moore's eyes widened when he was asked the question after the draw with Nottingham Forest.

He sucked some air through his teeth and nodded his head in agreement.

Yes, his side would have to play significantly better to come away from Villa Park with anything.

Even though Albion sit above their rivals in the table, Moore knows his team need a reaction tomorrow after a lethargic performance in midweek.

“No games are ever the same,” he added. “It’s a different game on Saturday, it’s a local derby, we know they’re quite feisty affairs, we know the atmosphere will be there between two local teams.

“Expect a completely different game. Both teams know each other really well, we contest and compete at Villa Park.”

There are plenty of connections between these two sides of course, both on the pitch and in the dugout, and curiously, there have been plenty of similarities this season.

Both are capable of scoring goals and both struggle to keep clean sheets. Both are heavily reliant on a loan striker. Both have drawn too many games recently.

The 2-2 result between these sides at The Hawthorns in December arguably epitomises both club’s campaigns – exhilarating at times, infuriating at others, goals at both ends.

It’s three-and-a-half years since the Baggies last visited Villa Park, a game won by a solitary Saido Berahino goal. But it’s unlikely to finish 1-0 to either side tomorrow.

Albion’s preparations for this game haven’t exactly been smooth.

Matt Phillips and James Morrison have been out for some time with ankle problems, while Hal Robson-Kanu and Chris Brunt are doubts.

Ahmed Hegazi faces a late fitness test after playing through a hamstring strain at Stoke, and to top it off, the Baggies have a two-game ban for diving hanging over star striker Dwight Gayle.

The only silver lining to potentially losing Gayle is that all of Albion’s other five loanees would be able to play – including Jefferson Montero, who was forced to miss out on Tuesday due to that EFL law.

Regardless of what happens, Albion will not be at full strength tomorrow, but neither will their opponents.

The Baggies have reached the halfway point of a gruelling run of eight games in 28 days, but this is the one their supporters want them to win the most.

Many believe this frenetic February will make or break Albion’s season, but Moore disagrees.

“I don’t think so, because of the way the Championship’s been, you can never call it,” he said. “I don’t think it will tell you where we are come the end of it.

“I just hope there’s more development from us from where we are now, that we haven’t stood still, and we continue to develop.

“The most important thing is to keep that work going and integrate our three new players into our system very quickly.”

December’s game at The Hawthorns was Anwar El Ghazi’s, but after Jacob Murphy got off the mark on Tuesday, Albion will hope they see a similar statement performance from their new winger.

Gareth Barry has been back to Villa Park before, but not with Albion, and the veteran midfielder is crucial to Moore’s midfield and expected to start.

The Baggies were outplayed in the reverse fixture and fortunate to come away with a point thanks to Jay Rodriguez’s handball goal.

Albion’s last remaining striker will no doubt get stick from the home fans tomorrow.

But the Baggies will take confidence from their away form, which has delivered six wins out of seven.

This side seems more comfortable soaking up pressure and hitting on the break in open games, rather than breaking down stubborn opposition.

Recent form suggests this game could play into their hands in that respect, but you know what they say about derbies and form...

Matt Wilson prediction: Score draw

Beam-back at The Hawthorns

Nearly 2,000 Baggies are heading to The Hawthorns tomorrow to watch the derby being beamed back to the big screens.

After the away allocation of 2,167 seats at Villa Park sold out quickly, Albion decided to screen the Saturday 3pm kick-off at their ground in order to allow more fans to watch it.

Tomorrow’s game will not be available on either live television or on iFollow in this country.

Albion are opening Halford’s Lane to supporters, although tickets, which cost £5, must be purchased in advance.

Turnstiles open at 2pm and there will be refreshments, including alcoholic drinks, available in the concourse.

Tickets can be bought online, in person from the East Stand ticket office, or by calling 0121 227 2227.

Sky ignored the game because it was subject to a change if Albion had beaten Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Baggies took the Seagulls to a replay, and were only knocked out last week.

Clash that’s dripping with lots of sub-plot

This is a match is especially intriguing, because so many protagonists tomorrow have an affiliation to the other club. So let’s go through them.

Gareth Barry - The veteran midfielder made more than 400 appearances for Villa across 12 seasons. This is the first time he’s been back with rivals Albion.

James Chester - The Villa club-captain is a former Albion player. Rarely used by Tony Pulis, he’s now he’s firmly in the claret and blue camp.

Sam Johnstone - Albion’s goalkeeper spent last season at Villa, where he amassed 22 clean sheets, and the club would have tried to sign him last summer had they not been struggling financially.

Neil Cutler - The Villa goalkeeping coach took Johnstone to Albion during his short 10-month stay at The Hawthorns. An Albion fan, he went to Villa to rejoin Dean Smith, who he worked with at Walsall.

Gary Walsh - The Albion goalkeeping coach used to be the man who prepared Johnstone at Villa when Steve Bruce was boss.

Dean Smith - Born in West Bromwich, Smith may support the club he now manages, but he was almost Albion manager in the summer before the Baggies board appointed Darren Moore.

Richard O’Kelly - Smith’s assistant, O’Kelly was also born in West Bromwich and spent seven years as an Albion youth team coach.

Darren Moore - Born and raised in the shadows of The Hawthorns and Villa Park, Moore used to watch both teams as a child and was given Paul McGrath’s boots by brother David, who was an apprentice at Villa.

Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause - Albion were also interested in Villa’s January signings.