Blues make their long awaited return to action tomorrow, a mere 105 days since their last competitive match in March. Promotion chasing West Bromwich Albion lay in wait, and will signify a tough return for Blues.

Pep’s opposite number Bilic boasts an almost fully fit squad for Saturday with the exceptions of two long term absentees in Nathan Ferguson and ex Charlton Athletic loanee Jonathan Leko. Pep Clotet can report a similar bill of health for his squad with the exception of Josh McEachran who is sidelined long term. It was reported yesterday Pep was checking on the fitness of two first team players but declined to offer any further information on the pair.

Blues will be hoping both players pass their respective fitness tests with the squad beginning to look threadbare. Blues have already seen the departures of forward players Maghoma, Mrabti and Montero this month, the latter returning to parent club Swansea City having not made much of a positive impact during his short stay at the club. On a positive note, Scott Hogan has seen his loan with the club extended, as has Jake Clarke Salter.

Jude Bellingham looks raring to go, and will likely start in a 4 across midfield which could feature a return for Kieftenbeld alongside Sunjic or Gary Gardner. Fitness permitting, Hogan and Jutkiewicz should return to their usual partnership up top.

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Tomorrow may also see the promotion of several Under-23 Development Squad players to the match day squad again. The likes of Jack Concannon, Caolan Boyd-Munce, and striker Miguel Fernandez are likely to make an appearance on the bench and could feature as substitutes. 

In terms of what Birmingham can expect tomorrow, West Brom will offer one of the toughest tests of the season. They have vast amounts of top level experience and an abundance of flair to keep Blues busy. Their strength in depth will also pose a bigger threat now with the EFL ruling of allowing 5 substitutes during a game. This could prove a big advantage for West Brom who will be likely to call upon a raft of experienced players from the bench such as Charlie Austin, Matt Phillips and Kamil Grosicki to name a few.

Key Men for West Brom:

Matheus Pereira

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Regarded as one of the stand out players this season in the Championship, the 24 year old on loan from Sporting Lisbon looks a class act. Often utilised as a right sided forward by Slaven Bilic, Pereira is equally comfortable with both feet. With 6 goals and 12 assists this season, the forward is top of the assists column and it’s easy to see why. A player clearly playing a level below where he should be, will be a handful for Blues and in particular Pederson down that defensive left side.

Grady Diangana

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If Pereira wasn’t already enough of a worry, West Brom can boast another high quality forward on the left side in the form of Diangana. Hugely impressive until his injury during West Brom’s visit to St Andrews last year, the forward had already notched 5 goals and 5 assists. The player provides West Brom with excellent width and pace and will keep Maxime Colin extremely busy tomorrow if he makes his anticipated return to fitness.

Jake Livermore

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West Brom’s midfield general. Livermore has been an ever present for West Brom this season. Still only 30, he is a big player for West Brom, his role in the middle being to allow others to play more freely. With a wealth of experience, he compliments some of the younger players in West Brom’s side. Also capable of scoring from long range he is a player Blues must be wary of outside the box.

Semi Ajayi

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A key player at the back for West Brom. Seems to have flourished under Bilic. Excellent with his right foot and capable of scoring the odd spectacular goal, he is a player that underpins West Brom’s success this season, strong on the ball and capable of playing with the ball at his feet. Blues will need to be wary of his strength and presence in the box for set pieces and corners.

In summary, the game tomorrow proves a difficult game to predict with both sides having not played competitively for so long. Fitness levels will be in question and match sharpness could be almost non existent. Blues will need to start the game strongly but the lack of squad depth could impact upon the side going into the latter stages. With Pep sure to promote youth to the match day squad tomorrow, it will give supporters a good opportunity to see what one or two may offer next season. KRO.

Will Blues take all 3 points tomorrow?

Yes

No