Illness in West Brom camp ahead of Sheffield Wednesday clash

The Albion head coach did not divulge the identity of his under the weather frontman with the Owls in town ahead of a crunch clash between two play-off hopefuls.

That is the only fresh fitness concern for the Baggies to take into their return to The Hawthorns two weeks after hitting five past Portsmouth in Mowbray's return to the stadium as home boss.

Mowbray confirmed the illness alongside more uplifting news when it comes to a couple of Albion long-term absentees Semi Ajayi and Daryl Dike.

Centre-back Ajayi has missed since late October following hamstring surgery and striker Dike last kicked a ball competitively 12 months ago before an Achilles rupture and more recently a hamstring setback.

New signing Tammer Bany, the £3.3million deadline day recruit from Randers in his homeland of Denmark, will not be involved against Wednesday. The 21-year-old attacker only arrived at the club on Friday morning and is expected to watch on against the Owls and Blackburn next Wednesday night.

Ajayi is set to feature for the Baggies' under-21 set-up on Monday night against Newcastle at Solihull Moors as he steps up his comeback. Mowbray wants Dike to do likewise before he is in first-team contention - and their could be youth involvement for a couple of other players on the fringes.

Mowbray replied on Dike: "I've just had conversations with Tony Strudwick (director of medical) about that, you could say the same about Semi and the same for maybe (Gianluca) Frabotta and (Devante) Cole. When do they play? I'm asking.

"I need to see all these players play. It's OK putting them in little boxes with drills. I'd like to see them all play in an under-21s game. You can only play three overage players.

"Dike has been out a fair while. I'm not sure it's right that he's trained for a couple of weeks to just stick him straight in the team. I would have more confidence watching them play.

"I've had the conversation with Semi. 'What about 45 minutes?' I'm coming to watch. Him having to react and deal with things.

"At all my clubs in the past - they play (for the youth team). If they are not getting games, then they play. They are here to play. So (they need to) want to play, show me, it's an opportunity to show me why you should be in our team."

Italian left-back Frabotta, the summer signing from Juventus, is yet to start a Championship game this season and neither has striker Cole, who signed from Barnsley. They have been limited to just six and 14 appearances from the bench respectively.

Mowbray has signalled his intention to watch all Albion under-21 home fixtures, beginning at the youth side's Solihull Moors base on Monday.

Richard Beale's juniors are in action for the next four Mondays into March - three at home and one against Wolves in the mini-derby at Kidderminster Harriers' Aggborough home.

The latter of that quartet, against Sunderland on March 3, is scheduled to take place at The Hawthorns.