---
title: "West Bromwich Albion: Predicted XI to face Leicester"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-bromwich-albion-predicted-xi-to-face-leicester/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Premier League"
published: "2020-09-13T06:00:41Z"
modified: "2020-09-13T06:00:41Z"
---

# West Bromwich Albion: Predicted XI to face Leicester

**West Brom will play Premier League football for the first time since May 2018 this afternoon when they welcome Leicester to The Hawthorns.**

Despite a [stuttering finish](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/spielplan/verein/984/saison_id/2019) to the 2019/20 season, Slaven Bilic’s side did enough to clinch the [second automatic promotion place](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/championship/tabelle/wettbewerb/GB2/saison_id/2019) in the Championship and avoid the lottery of the play-offs, where they [came a cropper the previous year](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48182254).

[Five permanent signings](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/transfers/verein/984/saison_id/2020) have been confirmed by the Baggies so far, although [three of those](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/alletransfers/verein/984) are deals for players who were on loan at the club last season.

Bilic goes into his first match as a Premier League manager [in nearly three years](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/slaven-bilic/leistungsdatenDetail/trainer/3598/wettbewerb_id/GB1) with a near-full squad at his disposal, with Conor Townsend and Kenneth Zohore the only injury doubts (as per [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1485190/Preview/England-Premier-League-2020-2021-West-Bromwich-Albion-Leicester)).

Here is our predicted starting XI for West Brom’s first match back in the top flight after a [two-year absence](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/platzierungen/verein/984):

![west-brom-predicted-xi-leicester](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/lineup.png)

Despite the [recent arrival](https://www.wba.co.uk/news/albion-sew-button-deal) of David Button from Brighton, **Sam Johnstone** looks set to start in goal, having been West Brom’s [only ever-present player](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/175/Archive/England-West-Bromwich-Albion) in last season’s Championship. Townsend’s injury should see **Kieran Gibbs** get the nod at left-back, while **Dara O’Shea**‘s [strong form](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-brom-news/unsung-hero-west-brom-dara-oshea-performance-hull/) towards the end of 2019/20 could earn him the right-back slot ahead of Darnell Furlong.

**Semi Ajayi** was a [near-constant presence](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/175/Archive/England-West-Bromwich-Albion) at centre-back last term and should start against Leicester, although he may have a new partner alongside him as Bilic could hand a [Baggies debut](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/cedric-kipre/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/364827) to summer signing **Cedric Kipre**, who was once in the [academy of today’s opponents.](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/cedric-kipre/transfers/spieler/364827)

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The defensive midfield pairing of **Romaine Sawyers** and **Jake Livermore** were two of just three outfield players to [start more than 40 league games](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/175/Archive/England-West-Bromwich-Albion) for Albion last season and look set to renew their partnership this afternoon.

Despite Callum Robinson [joining from Sheffield United](https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2020/09/09/west-brom-sign-callum-robinson-in-swap-for-oliver-burke/) this week, the [impressive form](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-brom-news/wba-kamil-grosicki-goal-poland-robinson-battle/) of **Kamil Grosicki** for Poland during the international break could see him get the nod on the left wing, with **Grady Diangana** starting on the right flank [as he did on occasion](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/grady-diangana/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/342048/plus/0/saison/2019/wettbewerb/GB2/verein/984) in 2019/20. **Matheus Pereira** would then [take the number 10 role](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/matheus-pereira/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/225984/plus/0/saison/2019/wettbewerb/GB2/verein/984) behind the lone centre-forward, where Bilic has an enviable decision to make.

**Hal Robson-Kanu** and Charlie Austin [both hit double figures](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/175/Archive/England-West-Bromwich-Albion) last term, with the former perhaps being preferred as he [started more regularly](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/175/Archive/England-West-Bromwich-Albion) in 2019/20 and also returned to the Wales fold last weekend, making an appearance in the win over Bulgaria (as per [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53962798)).

***West Brom fans, is this the team that you would select for today’s clash? Give us your views in the comments section below!***