After the transfer window slammed shut, West Brom fans arguably wouldn’t have been exactly pleased to see striker Sadio Berahino still at the Hawthorns.
Out of two matchday squads during intense speculation about a move to Tottenham, who received both barrels from WBA chairman Jeremy Peace about their transfer conduct, it reached a nadir when Berahino sent out a tweet about not playing for the club again.
Despite not going quite as far as the young English striker, Victor Wanyama had a similar situation at Southampton. Having wanted to leave to rejoin his former manager Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, his current boss Ronald Koeman felt he wasn’t ‘mentally ready’ to play in their 3-0 win over Norwich.
With the pair both likely to play against one another on Saturday, Koeman and West Brom manager Tony Pulis will most likely share a laugh about their transfer window predicaments. But they’ll both want to make sure they build on last time out, when they both won in the league for the first time this season.
Team news
Berahino returning will be good news for Pulis, as star striker and record buy Salomon Rondon returned back to the Midlands late from international duty with Venezuela. Jonny Evans and Anders Lindegaard, who both signed from Manchester United, are in line to make their debuts.
Victor Wanyama is being brought back into the squad, but Southampton are still without Ryan Bertrand and Jordy Clasie, who are missing with knee and ankle injuries respectively. Virgil Van Dijk may make his debut after signing from Celtic for £11.5m.
Likely XI's
WBA: (4-4-2) Myhill- Brunt, Evans, McAuley, Chester- McManaman, Yacob, Fletcher, Morrison- Lambert, Berahino.
Southampton: (4-3-3) Stekelenburg- Cedric, Fonte, Van Dijk, Targett- Romeu, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse- Tadić, Pellè, Mané.
Key Players
The focus will be on Berahino, but his strike partner Rickie Lambert will be given a warm reception from the travelling support, after five goal-laden years on the South Coast.
Keeping Lambert and Berahino quiet will be the first task handed to Van Dijk and Jose Fonte, who returns back after helping Portugal to a crucial 1-0 win over Albania.