West Brom blog: Returning players could offer a spark

I want to make this clear from the outset. The reason why we lost to the Saints was not solely down to injuries, although it was a contributing factor, writes Baggies blogger Nathan Carr.

As much as I like Gareth McAuley – the service he’s given to us over the last seven years has been excellent – we simply can’t ignore the fact that he’s now 38 and was punished against Manchester City and Southampton for his lack of pace.

If Jonny Evans is sidelined on Monday night, I’d move Craig Dawson to centre-back alongside Ahmed Hegazi, leaving Allan Nyom and Gibbs to fill the full-back positions.

We were heavily dominated in central midfield last weekend, with Mario Lemina proving too strong for both Claudio Yacob and Gareth Barry with his movement and passing.

With Yacob and Barry there’s a distinct lack of dynamism in the middle of the park.

This is where we badly missed Grzegorz Krychowiak, who has grown in prominence after a slow start to his Baggies career. He offers more mobility and is able to cover ground more efficiently.

With Gibbs and Krychowiak back in the starting eleven, we look a considerably more well-balanced side.

I’d also be tempted to bring in Jay Rodriguez ahead of Salomon Rondon to partner Daniel Sturridge up-front.

Playing at Stamford Bridge is never going to be an easy game - but with the return of a couple of key players and a few extra days rest, coupled with the fact Antonio Conte and his players are under increasing amounts of pressure – we could well spring a surprise similar to what we saw against Liverpool in the FA Cup.