West Brom v Portsmouth: Lewis Cox's predicted line-up for Tony Mowbray's home return

Newly-promoted Pompey are up to 18th in the Championship after winning back-to-back games for the first time this season in downing Middlesbrough and Stoke at home, the latter on Wednesday.

But they travel to the Black Country with the third-poorest away record in the second tier this season having won just once away from Fratton Park. It begins a presentable run of three fixtures also involving Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday.

Albion were convincing 3-0 winners at Pompey in August amid a flying start to the campaign, but have mustered just four wins in 24 games since.

Mowbray is back in the home dugout at The Hawthorns for the first time since his departure 16 years ago and has spent the early days of his second reign getting to know the group he inherited from Carlos Corberan - as well as a more regular route to goal.

The head coach elected for an unchanged side up at Boro in midweek, his first match in the dugout, having watched the 1-1 draw against Stoke last weekend. Albion fell to a 2-0 defeat at the Riverside, though the new boss remained enthused with elements of his team's display.

He continues to look for a way for Albion, without top scorer Josh Maja, to be more of a goal threat in the final third. The decision to keep Grady Diangana up front with Karlan Grant against play-off chasing rival at Boro was a bold call. The last two games have yielded 23 and 14 shots from Albion and suggested more willing in the final third.