West Brom v Stoke preview: Return to league action brings welcome distraction

In reality it has only been two weeks since Joe Allen crept in with a header to deny the Baggies a welcome three points down in Swansea.

But in footballing terms it feels like significantly longer. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since that late south Wales blow.

There has been another game, too, though the FA Cup tie at Bournemouth was always a bit of a sideshow and, sadly for those that rightly love the Cup, not a priority.

In truth Chris Brunt, Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill would have been fairly certain the Vitality Stadium tie would be the fifth and final game of their caretaker spell. Back then, a week ago, Swiss coach Raphael Wicky was in advanced discussions about The Hawthorns hotseat.

A couple of days later and that was no more as those discussions collapsed at somewhere approaching the 11th hour.

Albion's owners Bilkul have continued their work in the background, with former boss Tony Mowbray a target but with the difficulty and sensitivity of his all-clear health checks taking place on Tuesday this week.

It looks, certainly at the time of writing, that any formal announcement or appointment prior to the visit of Stoke on Saturday is not on the cards.

That means it is up to Brunt, Abella and Myhill, as well as the rest of Albion's support staff, to ensure all the focus is placed on 90 minutes on the pitch at The Hawthorns.

Albion wanted a replacement wrapped up by now but things have not gone their way. It is unfortunately on a couple of fronts - not least the ongoing transfer window - but the side cannot afford to lose much unnecessary ground in a tight play-off race.

On Saturday staff, players and supporters will all have the chance to temporarily veer away from 'what's next?' and importantly focus on the here and now.

Particularly for the fans, for whom the period of Corberan's sudden exit for Valencia will feel a lifetime ago.

The rumourmill has been in overdrive for much of the time since and it has the feel of the end of a long drawn-out international break - fans are desperate for some escapism of a match with points on the line.

It is an important fixture for Albion and part of the reason why the club were so keen to have a man in place at the helm.

Stoke should be a Championship rival, with the ambition and budget of a club pushing for a play-off spot, but for years now they have been perennial underachievers.

The Potters, who have sacked both Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach this season and are now under Mark Robins, have lost 11 of 26 games this season and are down in 19th, just four points clear of safety.

They are currently unbeaten in four games with Robins overseeing two of those. Their two wins in the four-game sequence have both come over in-form Sunderland, in league and FA Cup action.