West Brom V Swansea Barclays Premier League Match 1 -September 2013.West Brom are boosted by the return of Nicolas Anelka after compassionate leave but goalkeeper Ben Foster is out for 12 weeks with a broken foot.
Striker Matej Vydra injured his hamstring in the midweek League Cup win over Newport County and will miss out.Watch West Brom V Swansea Live, Watch West Brom V Swansea Live Stream, Watch West Brom V Swansea Free Live Stream, Watch West Brom V Swansea Online, Watch West Brom V Swansea Online Free, West Brom V Swansea Live, West Brom V Swansea live stream Online.
Swansea trio Ashley Williams, Wilfried Bony and Jonjo Shelvey are expected to play despite missing the midweek trip to Romania with minor knocks.
Nathan Dyer (hamstring) and Neil Taylor (thigh) are still sidelined.
MATCH PREVIEW
It is obviously very early days but two of last season's over-achievers will be disappointed by their start which sees them at the wrong end of the table.
West Bromwich Albion's problem seems pretty clear - they cannot score goals as illustrated against Everton and Southampton. The loss of Romelu Lukaku, who weighed in with 17 Premier league goals on loan from Chelsea last season, is already painfully obvious.
But the big Belgian isn't coming back despite Albion's attempts, so Steve Clarke has to look elsewhere.
The Baggies boss hopes to bring in two strikers before the transfer window shuts but in the meantime, the return of Nicolas Anelka from compassionate leave is timely.
So too was the startling performance of 20-year-old Saido Berahino, who scored a hat-trick on his full debut in Tuesday's 3-0 League Cup win over Newport County.
And then there is Scott Sinclair, who has arrived on loan from Manchester City, where injuries limited his impact after making his name at Swansea City with 22 goals in their promotion season. This could be his script to write.
When he left the Liberty Stadium two games into last season, Swansea were top of the pile. They had crushed QPR and West Ham, scoring eight goals in the process.
Michael Laudrup did not get carried away then and he is not likely to now after defeats to Manchester United and Tottenham left his side bottom. He knows their season will not hinge on results against the big-boys but results at places like the Hawthorns.
The ramifications of Swansea's European commitments could be crucial as the domestic campaign gathers pace. The Swans succeeded in their first target of reaching the group phase of the Europa League despite Thursday's away defeat to Petrolul Ploiesti, but how jaded will their players be after a 2,500 mile round-trip to Romania?
And how will Laudrup's squad cope with six more Thursday night engagements over a 12-week period? Sunday at the Hawthorns should provide a clue as West Brom look to capitalise on any tiredness.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Brom and Swansea have met 31 times in all competitions.
Swansea have registered 13 wins compared to West Brom's 11.
The Baggies won last season's home fixture 2-1 which avenged a 2-1 reverse the previous year at a snowy Hawthorns.
West Bromwich Albion
West Brom, along with Newcastle, are still to score a Premier League goal after two matches.
The Baggies' last home win (2-1) in the Premier League was 2-1against Swansea on 9 March 2013.
Since then, they have won just one of their last 11 league games (W1 D4 L6).
Swansea City
Swansea have lost four Premier League games in a row for the first time since April 2012.
The Swans have won just two of their 13 Premier League fixtures since lifting the League Cup in February 2013 (D3, L8).
Yet they continue to play the same brand of football; prior to this weekend, their two league games are both in the top six for matches with the most passes this season.