West Brom vs Swansea preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 11.30am on Sunday; kick-off is at 12pm.
Sunday 8 December 2019 00:12, UK
West Brom face Swansea in the Sky Bet Championship on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football.
Team news
Slaven Bilic has no new injury concerns ahead of Championship leaders West Brom's clash with Swansea. The high-flying Baggies have won each of their last five games and have tasted defeat just once in the league this campaign.
Bilic is unlikely to make many changes to the side who beat Preston 1-0 on Monday, although match-winner Charlie Austin will be hoping for a promotion to the starting XI. Rekeem Harper (tooth) is the only player who missed Friday's training session.
Aldo Kalulu is in contention to feature for the first time since August after returning to action for Swansea's Under-23s. On-loan Basel winger Kalulu has been out with an ankle injury but is making good progress and could be involved.
Nathan Dyer could also feature but Wayne Routledge is likely to miss out. Jordon Garrick (hamstring) and Joe Rodon (ankle) are still sidelined.
Recent form
West Brom's late win at Preston on Monday night made it five wins in a row under Bilic as they aim for automatic promotion this season.
Swansea are without a win in their last four in the Championship, drawing two and losing two. Last time out they were beaten at home by Fulham.
Talking point: Jimmy Shan reflects on West Brom tenure
When Jimmy Shan took over the caretaker manager position at West Brom earlier this year, his brief was clear: Secure a return to the Premier League. In the end, the Baggies missed out on a place in the Championship play-off final with just one kick of the ball, when Tammy Abraham scored the decisive penalty for Aston Villa.
That short foray into management was enough to give him a taste for it on a more full-time basis, so much so that on Friday afternoon, he was announced as interim manager of National League North side Kidderminster Harriers.
Latest highlights
Opta stats
West Brom are unbeaten in their last five home league matches against Swansea (W3 D2).
Swansea lost both league matches against West Brom last season - they haven't lost three in a row against the Baggies since September 1981.
West Brom are unbeaten in their last 15 home league games (W10 D5) - they last went longer without defeat at home between February-December 1920 (16 games).
Swansea are the only Championship side without an away defeat so far this season (W4 D5 L0).
West Brom's Charlie Austin has scored in each of his last three substitute appearances - the last Championship player to score in four sub appearances in a row is Lewis McGugan for Nottingham Forest in March and April 2013 (five in a row).
Swansea's Matt Grimes has been involved in 988 unique open play sequences of play in the Championship this season, 24 more than any other player.
Prutton's prediction
That was a big win for West Brom at Preston, albeit in slightly controversial circumstances. It was the kind of game that tends to tip the way of sides who go on to get promoted at the end of the season.
Swansea are without a win in four and have dropped out of the top six for the first time. They need to get back to winning ways, but that's unlikely to happen at The Hawthorns.
David Prutton predicts: 3-2 (22/1 with Sky Bet)
