SUNDERLAND visit the Hawthorns this Saturday to take on Premier League surprise package West Bromwich Albion.
The Baggies will be looking to build on the victory they secured last time out – 2-0 winners at Anfield – thanks to late strikes from Gareth McAuley and Romelu Lukaku.
Former Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham United and Newcastle United coach Steve Clarke has enjoyed a dream start to life as the boss, guiding the Throstles into the Champions League spots earlier in the season, but despite falling away, still remaining in with a shout of a Europa League finish.
The Scot is however still focussed on the club`s primary pre-season objective of securing their top-flight status for another season.
He told BBC Sport: ‘I said from the start ’40 points, first target’ and we are almost there.
‘No-one was talking about Europe before, everyone was thinking where we were getting our next win from.’
Whilst Clarke`s ‘safety-first` remit is admirable, the Albion do appear to be on the verge of something remarkable this season, not only continuing the good work of the departed Roy Hodgson, but significantly improving on what the England manager achieved in the Black Country.
Sat eighth and with a 14-point cushion on the relegation zone, it would take a horrendous run of form for the Baggies to even be dragged into the dogfight for survival at this stage.
The goalscoring exploits of Chelsea loanee Lukaku have been pivotal in the Baggies` superb season, the 19 year-old Belgian powerhouse ramming in 10 Premier League goals in just 11 starts for Albion this term.
Clarke has been keen to rotate his forwards, with Republic of Ireland international and Peter Odemwingie the other two on rotation with Lukaku through the course of the term, meaning Long, with 17 starts, has the most outings this term by a narrow margin.
Signed on a season-long loan deal from Stamford Bridge, Lukaku was criminally underused by the west Londoners last season after Andre Villas-Boas spent a cool £18m to prise the highly-rated Belgian international from Anderlecht in his home country.
With 19 full Belgian caps and three goals to his name, the 6`3 forward is hot property, and could well find himself used more effectively by the Blues next season.
One man who might not find himself featuring too regularly over the remainder of the season is Nigerian international, Odemwingie.
The 31 year-old forward provided one of the more hilarious and memorable Transfer Deadline Day stories of recent years when he arrived at Loftus Road to attempt to complete a move to Queens Park Rangers which had been in no way agreed.
Now back at the Hawthorns with his tail between his legs, the Uzbekistan-born hitman has been left out of first-team involvement since his ‘mishap` at the end of last month, but Northern Irish defender McAuley says the 31 year-old has been forgiven.
‘The line’s been drawn. Everything is fine,’ McAuley told BBC Sport
‘We’re back talking about football. That’s how we’re looking at it.
‘The lads realise that, if Pete is on the pitch, playing well and scoring goals, everyone benefits from it.”
Clarke will definitely be without the services of midfield duo Zoltan Gera and George Thorne however, as both players are sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament damage.
Martin O`Neill is without Wes Brown (knee), but Carlos Cuellar could return at centre-half. Stephane Sessegnon is expected to start wide left in a 4-5-1 system, leaving Stephen Fletcher up front on his own.
Predicted line-ups:
West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Mulumbu; Morrison, Dorrans, Brunt (c); Long.
Sunderland: Mignolet; Gardner, O`Shea, Cuellar, Rose; Johnson, Cattermole (c), N`Diaye, Colback, Sessgnon; Fletcher.
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