Alan Pardew contemplates fitting Daniel Sturridge, Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez all into the same West Brom team

The Baggies boss rested Rodriguez on Saturday in favour of Rondon and Sturridge even though the former Southampton man had five goals in his previous seven games.

His decision was partly down to the fact Rodriguez completed 90 minutes away at Liverpool and Manchester City in the week leading up to the match, but by the time the in-form striker came on, Albion were 3-1 down.

Rondon scored during an impressive performance against the Saints and has looked improved in recent weeks.

Sturridge, meanwhile, showed flashes of potential in the first half an hour of his full debut.

Pardew has promised to play at least two strikers in every game from now until the end of the season as he searches for wins to keep Albion up.

But he is also contemplating a way of getting all three into his line-up.

When he was asked last week if they could all start together, he said: “Could they? Yeah possibly.

“Depending on how we set that up because you need the balance of the team of course, but with the kind of central midfield players we have I think we could do that.

“You could put four strikers on the pitch doesn’t mean you’re going to score more goals because you need the balance.

“You need players who are going to create, players who are going to stretch the pitch. Otherwise you’d see (Sergio) Aguero and (Gabriel) Jesus playing together and you don’t, there’s a reason for that.

“When you look at the strikers we’ve got, it would be ill perceived if I didn’t play with two strikers. You’re going to see two strikers on the pitch from now until the end of the season.”

Rondon is a traditional target-man but Rodriguez is versatile, and can play on either wing or as a no.10.

However, he has been at his best for the Baggies up front, and started scoring in recent weeks after a consistent run in that position.

Sturridge has played most of his career as a striker but has occasionally been tried as a right-sided forward.

The Liverpool man, who has 74 goals in 114 Premier League starts, has already made an impression on his team-mates.

Gareth McAuley, who has been made captain following Jonny Evans’s injury, said: “He’s just come in, and he’s only had two training sessions with the group, but he’s a fit lad and he’s not had a lot of game time in recent weeks.

“We hope he can score the goals that will help us to stay in this division.”