West Brom vs Preston preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football Red Button
Watch live on Sky Sports Football Red Button and the Sky Sports app from 7.55pm on Tuesday; kick-off is at 8pm
Monday 24 February 2020 20:50, UK
West Brom face Preston in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports Football Red Button and the Sky Sports app.
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Team news
Championship leaders West Brom will be without the suspended Romaine Sawyers. The midfielder was shown a red card during the Baggies' 3-0 defeat of Bristol City and now serves the first fixture of a three-game ban.
Potential replacement Gareth Barry is still recovering from a calf injury and may not return to fitness in time to deputise. Nineteen-year-old Rekeem Harper could benefit from the opportunity, but Grady Diangana (hamstring) and Nathan Ferguson (knee) will both miss out.
Darnell Fisher may return for Preston after a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring issue but Daniel Johnson is doubtful with a knee problem. Wales international Billy Bodin is closing in on a return having been out since January with an Achilles injury.
Louis Moult is not yet ready to return from an ACL operation and is unlikely to feature. Tom Bayliss is set to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Recent form
Having overcome a dip across the festive period and January, West Brom are back in the assault at the top of the table and have won four of their last five games, the most recent of which saw them run out 3-0 winners against Bristol City.
Preston's play-off hopes remain alight, too. Alex Neil's men have won three of their last four games, scoring six goals and conceding just three.
Latest highlights
Opta stats
West Brom have won their last four league matches against Preston, scoring 11 goals across those victories.
Preston have lost their last nine away league matches against West Brom, a run stretching back to 1992.
West Brom have picked up 12 points from the last 15 available since the beginning of February (W4 D1) more than any other team in the division and netting at least twice in each game.
Preston are unbeaten in their last six away games in the Championship (W3 D3) last winning four in a row on the road between January and March 2019 (six straight wins).
Following his two goals against Bristol City last time out, West Brom striker Hal Robson-Kanu is now enjoying his most prolific goalscoring campaign during his English league career with nine goals, surpassing his previous best of seven in 2012-13 whilst at Reading.
Prutton's prediction
I've been really impressed with the Baggies' professional approach since their slump late last year and I'm certainly struggling to look past them for the title with 12 games left to play, but they'll certainly miss Romaine Sawyers, who is suspended for this one.
Like their hosts, North End are in a rich vein of form. They currently occupy the final play-off spot and will no doubt have designs on finishing there or thereabouts come May, but I just think West Brom will have too much for them.
David Prutton predicts: 2-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)
