West Brom must unleash Karlan Grant

West Bromwich Albion are again in motion tonight as they face the replay of their FA Cup third-round conflict in opposition to Chesterfield.

The Baggies want to translate their blistering Championship kind into a protracted cup run, with relegation now not a critical menace. Carlos Corberan has made certain of that, main his aspect to nine wins of their final ten league video games as they now sit in a play-off spot, which is miraculous given their trajectory under Steve Bruce.

Nonetheless, their successful run was surprisingly halted within the unique third-round conflict, because the plucky Nationwide League aspect put up fairly the combat earlier this month.

Regardless of taking an early lead, West Brom have been pegged again inside 5 minutes earlier than they surged in entrance once more throughout a frenetic opening 17 minutes. Then, in a loopy flip of occasions, Chesterfield hit again to take a 3-2 lead themselves, which they held till a last-gasp equaliser from Brandon Thomas-Asante compelled tonight’s replay.

Nonetheless, within the run-up to that objective, the 24-year-old has since been retrospectively suspended for 3 matches as a consequence of ‘violent conduct’. Corberan admitted that he “cannot argue” with the choice, and as such the ex-Salford man will definitely not begin in opposition to the group that he terrorised with two goals.

There was one other key participant within the Baggies’ comeback in opposition to Chesterfield, with Karlan Grant scoring one objective, setting up one other and incomes an 8.1 Sofascore score for his show. This was narrowly shy of the Baggies’ finest performer, the aforementioned and now suspended Thomas-Asante.

Would you begin Thomas-Asante at the moment?

Regardless of Daryl Dike additionally impressing since his return from harm, with two objectives in his final two league video games, it’s probably nonetheless too early to be subjecting the American to the complete impact of the taxing fixture schedule.

Though this has been a poor season for the previous Huddersfield City man, with simply three Championship objectives to his title, he retains the standard which has made him a constant menace in that division.

It was solely final season that he netted 18 instances within the second tier, whereas he scored 19 in his ultimate marketing campaign for the Terriers in 2019/20. This led former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips to counsel that Grant might quickly be thought to be a “hero” at The Hawthorns, ought to he keep such goalscoring kind.

The 25-year-old is a constant striker for this degree, albeit one who’s desperately scrambling for confidence. These cup matches in opposition to lower-league opposition could possibly be instrumental in reigniting that spark and getting him firing once more.

Grant has already terrorised Chesterfield together with his objective in opposition to them ten days in the past, and having not featured in opposition to Luton on the weekend, Corberan should recall him as soon as once more tonight.