West Bromwich Albion

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says he is delighted to see West Bromwich Albion head coach Tony Mowbray back on the touchline ahead of the two sides meeting on Saturday.

Rowett replaced Mowbray as Birmingham City head coach last March whilst Mowbray received treatment for bowel cancer.

After being given the all-clear, Mowbray was reappointed Albion boss in January following the departure of Carlos Corberan to Valencia.

"Its great to see Tony back," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I obviously followed Tony at Birmingham and I think it shows how much everyone respects him that everyone is pleased for him to come back.

"I'm sure now he is back, he doesn't want everyone talking about it [the cancer diagnosis] forever but it's great to see him out there.

"It'll be nice to lock horns with him once more because he's a top football manager and a top football person and I wish him all the best."

West Bromwich Albion welcome Oxford United to The Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with both sides looking to return to winning ways.

Since winning five of their opening six games, the Baggies have won just six of the 27 matches that have followed (D14 L7), but still remain in control of their own play-off destiny.

The U's are without a win in their past five games (D3 L2) but are nine points above the bottom three as things stand.

• West Brom have won just one of their past eight league games against Oxford United (D3 L4), though it did come during their most recent home match against the U's in March 1999 (2-0).

• Oxford United have won just one of their 11 away league games against West Brom (D2 L8), failing to keep a single clean sheet during that time.

• West Bromwich Albion lost 2-0 at home to Blackburn in their previous league game at the Hawthorns but haven't lost consecutively at home since October 2022.

• Oxford won five of their first seven Championship games under Gary Rowett (D2), scoring 12 goals. They've since gone winless in five games, scoring just once (D3 L2).

• West Brom manager Tony Mowbray has won both of his previous managerial encounters with Oxford United, beating them twice when he was Blackburn manager in League One in 2017-18.

Image source, Getty Images

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray believes his side will need at least 70 points to ensure a Championship play-off place after a frustrating 1-1 draw at Millwall on Saturday.

The Baggies currently lie sixth, in the final play-off spot, on 48 points, with seven other teams within four points chasing them hard.

In order to reach the 70-point mark, Mowbray's men need to win 22 points from a possible 39 from their remaining 13 games, with their next fixture against Oxford United at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

Norwich City finished sixth last term with 73 points, while in the season prior to that Sunderland claimed that position with 69. The Championship points average for the final play-off spot over the last five campaigns has been 72.8.

"We had some amazing chances after we scored and could have nicked it 2-1 but it wouldn't have been one of those games where we felt in control even if we lost a few goals," the Baggies boss told BBC Radio WM.

"They seemed to be able to get round our box easier than I'd have liked. We have got to get to 70 points to give ourselves the best chance of reaching the play-offs."

Image source, Rex Features

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Isaac Price believes leaving his boyhood club Everton to join Standard Liege in 2023 has helped his career.

The 21-year-old joined the Baggies from the Belgian side in January for an undisclosed fee.

"It's not the easiest and probably a few players would turn it down just because of the lifestyle, but I think it's really good for football, I learned a lot and it helped me get my move back here," Price told BBC Radio WM.

"The Belgian league is very similar to the Championship. There are a lot of good teams who play really attractive football at the top, while the ones at the bottom make it really difficult for you and make the game into a fight and it's similar in that anyone can beat anyone."

The Northern Ireland international started his career at Everton, for whom he made two Premier League appearances as a substitute, before signing for Standard in June 2023.

"There's a lot of good talent at top academies around the country but they fizzle out when they get to the under-21 stages because they don't want to make the jump abroad or move to a different place to play," added Price.

"But I think that's the best thing to do if you can go and play somewhere and get regular first-team minutes - it helped me massively."

Two sides seeking to get back on track meet at The Den on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as Millwall entertain West Bromwich Albion.

The Lions' three-match winning run came to a shuddering halt with a 5-1 thumping at Plymouth on Wednesday night.

Wednesday's home defeat to Blackburn means the Baggies have taken just 12 points from 10 matches since the departure of Carlos Corberan on Christmas Eve, though have managed to cling on to the final play-off place for now.

Though Albion are eight places ahead of the Lions, a home win would take Alex Neil's men within four points of Tony Mowbray's side.

• Millwall are unbeaten in each of their past seven league games against West Bromwich Albion (W2 D5), with each of their last four meetings ending level.

• West Brom have only won on one of their past 12 visits to Millwall in the Football League (D3 L8), with that coming in February 2020 (2-0).

• Millwall are looking to win successive home league games for only the second time this season after a run of three victories between October and November.

• West Brom are winless on the road in the Championship in their past eight games (D4 L4) and could lose three successive games for the first time since January 2024.

• West Brom's Adam Armstrong has been involved in seven goals in his 10 previous league games against Millwall (4 goals, 3 assists), four of which have come at The Den (3 goals, 1 assist).

Ged Scott at The Hawthorns
BBC Sport England

Image source, David Rogers - Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray admitted that the loss of suspended centre-back Kyle Bartley was a key factor in Wednesday night's 2-0 home defeat by his old club, managerless Blackburn Rovers.

After returning from a month out with injury in Saturday's 2-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday, Bartley was red-carded for violent conduct after the final whistle - and still has two more games to miss of his automatic three-match suspension.

"We were definitely missing Kyle Bartley," Mowbray told BBC Radio WM. "He's a big voice. He's the most dominant defender we have in the box - and we allowed them to score from a set play.

"We huffed and puffed but we just didn't have enough. We didn't have the cutting edge. And you have to give them some credit for the way they came here and defended."

As Mowbray had privately feared, the ongoing speculation over the long-drawn-out departure of Rovers manager John Eustace to Derby County also had a positive motivating effect on his old club.

"I just spoke to Danny Batth," added Mowbray. "He said all their players were together and sensed it in the dressing room before.

"They were right up for this football match because of the adversity they've been through. There's been a lot of talk and it galvanised their group.

"They worked extraordinarily hard. I've got a soft spot for Blackburn, not to the point where I'm happy they win, but I can see the qualities of what they've got. They're hard to get through. They know when to foul and when to kill the clock."

To add to Mowbray's woes, ahead of Saturday afternoon's game at Millwall, he may again also be without Karlan Grant, who missed the Rovers defeat with a chest infection and is now a doubt for the trip to the Den.

Ged Scott and Steve Hermon
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has warned that Wednesday night's Hawthorns opponents Blackburn Rovers may well be "galvanised" after several days of speculation about his opposite number John Eustace's future.

Albion take on Mowbray's former club - fifth against sixth - looking for a third straight home win since the veteran Baggies boss returned.

Rovers could be managerless as Eustace appears on the verge of a move back to the Midlands. But, although he is expected to have been announced as the new Derby County boss before the game takes place, Mowbray does not expect any negative effect on his old club.

It was May 2022 when Mowbray left Ewood Park, but he told BBC Radio WM: "Knowing the likes of Lewis Travis and John Buckley, they are very determined, focused young footballers, who will just want to win the next game.

"Players are pretty resilient. Most of them will have been through a few managers.

"They're not all going to be distraught and not try because they've not got a head coach. I'm pretty sure it will galvanise the playing group, they will have a chat with each other and will come here and give it a real go.

"They're a club I spent five and a half very happy years with. It's a tough game for us when you look at their results. I've seen them twice this year at Middlesbrough, where I live. But they won both of those games 1-0."

Image source, Getty Images

Mowbray will go into battle buoyed by what he saw on Monday night when Albion's Under-21s beat Newcastle United 3-1 - a game featuring both Daryl Dike and Semi Ajayi on their way back from injury.

Dike played half an hour for the Under-21s – exactly a year to the day since he tore his Achilles for the second time. Ajayi also played 45 minutes on his comeback from a four-month lay-off. And, although he admits that Dike is "desperate to return", Mowbray says Ajayi is probably the closer of the two to a first-team return.

After waiting seven months for his league debut, goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith will make his second Hawthorns appearance in five days following the sale of Alex Palmer.

West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers meet at The Hawthorns for a vital clash between two play-off rivals on Wednesday night (20:00).

The Baggies are fifth - two points ahead of Rovers in sixth - and are undefeated in their past 11 home games (W5 D6).

Blackburn have won just one of their past four games (L4) and are a point ahead of Middlesbrough in seventh, who have a game in hand.

• West Bromwich Albion have won just one of their past six league games against Blackburn Rovers (D3 L2), though that sole victory did come in this exact fixture last season during a 4-1 success.

• Blackburn Rovers have failed to win any of their past six away league games against West Bromwich Albion (W3 D3), since a 3-1 victory at the Hawthorns in December 2010.

• West Brom have only lost one of their past 13 midweek home games in the Championship (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), earning victories in 10 of those matches (two draws).

• Blackburn Rovers have lost four of their past five away Championship games (D1), losing their past three in a row. They had won four away games in a row before this run.

• Since a run of six consecutive Championship victories between 9 November and 14 December, Blackburn Rovers have picked up just eight points in 11 games (W2 D2 L7).

Image source, Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith says he enjoyed making his league debut in the dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Former number one Alex Palmer left to join Ipswich Town on transfer deadline day, meaning Wildsmith, who signed for the Baggies in the summer, took his place between the sticks.

Wildsmith, 29, came up through the Owls academy and made 66 appearances between 2015 and 2022 before moving to Derby County, where he spent two seasons and played 97 times.

"The occasion that got presented to me coming in was something really special," Wildsmith told BBC Radio WM.

"Obviously playing against my boyhood club, playing my first game for West Brom at The Hawthorns in the league.

"It was, first and foremost, great to play in front of the fanbase, it was rocking. The atmosphere was absolutely brilliant.

"And then to get the win the way we did at the end, you couldn't write it. The overall feeling in the dressing room is one of real pleasure. It's been a whirlwind week but it's ended in a great result.

"I've been working hard all season and been ready for that opportunity if it was going to come. I hope I've done enough to keep my place."

Albion boss Tony Mowbray said: "I always say with goalies, I try not to build them up too much because that's what he's in the goal for, to save the ball, stop it going in your net.

"I would say I was more pleased with him coming and taking the cross right at the death. So dominant and clean hands. His handling and steadiness was what was good."

Listen to Joe Wildsmith's interview with BBC Radio WM on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray spoke to BBC Radio WM after the Baggies' stoppage-time victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

"I thought there were lots of positives We were very good first half, total domination, I think they had one shot," he said.

"We had lots of the ball, just couldn't break through. Second half was more open, they came more into it, but we had some really good chances.

"Ultimately the score is 2-1 to us and we deserved to win over 90 minutes but the injury-time equaliser was a kick in the stomach for us.

"Then to score again so soon afterwards is something the lads have been talking about – we don't score many late goals.

"It was brilliant movement in the box from Molumby. I felt over the 97 minutes we deserved to win the game. I am pleased for the fans. We just have to keep going."

Mowbray on Bartley's post-match red card: "I didn't know until he came in and said he'd had a red card.

"It's really disappointing and frustrating for us. I think he's going to be really important for the team. It's going to be a blow if he's going to miss three games."

Image source, Adam Fradgley - Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion sporting director Andrew Nestor says the club are in a much healthier position in terms of satisfying English football's profit and sustainability rules than they were prior to their change of ownership almost a year ago.

The former Bologna director and Tampa Bay Rowdies president was chief executive of Bilkul Football Group, Albion's owners, when he took on his Albion role in mid-August, two weeks before the close of the summer transfer window.

But he described Championship club Albion's PSR position when Bilkul took over in late February from Guochuan Lai as having been "perilous".

"We are continuing to strategically navigate this situation," he said, "whilst remaining competitive in the league and investing in the club's future through the decisions made in these last two transfer windows.

"The average age of the squad weighted for minutes played was the oldest in the Championship and the fifth-most expensive.

"We have since been assembling a cohesive squad built around a more offensive-minded style of play. We have reinvested in key players that were already here, as well as new impact acquisitions and several top players under 21. The average age has been reduced and we have created capacity to continue future investment.

"Our squad planning model is centred around creating a mix of peak-year performance players in the 23-25 and 26-29 age categories, and young developing U23 talents. This can enable the club to compete at the highest level, but also develop players and optimise trading opportunities.

"We believe the squad adjustments made in the past month help us tremendously as we seek to adopt a more attack-minded playing style, create a pipeline of top young talent, and simultaneously reinforce the squad.

"The overarching strategy for 2025-26 is in place and, behind the scenes, we have aligned and bolstered our scouting and data capabilities."

West Bromwich Albion will be looking to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat at bottom side Plymouth when they host fellow play-off chasers Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Baggies are sixth in the Championship but only above Middlesbrough in seventh on goal difference.

Meanwhile the Owls are only two points back in 10th place and could move into the top six with victory, even if only temporarily.

• West Brom have won three of their past four home league games against Sheffield Wednesday (D1), having been in winless in the previous seven (D4 L3).

• Sheffield Wednesday have won each of their past two league games against West Brom, last winning more consecutively between 1961 and 1963 (5).

• West Brom have lost just one of their past 15 home league games (W7 D7), and are unbeaten in 10 at the Hawthorns since a 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in October.

• Sheffield Wednesday lost their first three away league games this season. However, since the start of October only Burnley (25) and Sheffield United (23) have earned more away points in the Championship than the Owls (20).

• Sheffield Wednesday's Michael Smith has scored in both of his past two league games, coming off the bench both times. He last scored in three consecutive league games within the same season in August/September 2021 while at Rotherham.