Preview:West Bromwich Albion vs Oxford United - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to record their first win since the middle of October, West Bromwich Albion welcome Oxford United to The Hawthorns in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Baggies suffered late heartbreak at the home of Charlton Athletic last time out, whilst the U's were convincingly defeated by an in-form Stoke City outfit.

Match preview

Always in the mix for a playoff spot in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League in 2021, West Bromwich Albion are in danger of fading into mid-table obscurity under the reign of Ryan Mason, who took responsibility for his side's loss at Charlton on Tuesday night.

The Baggies' winless run in the second tier extended to a highly-concerning four matches last time out at the Addicks' base, where a piece of poor goalkeeping from Joshua Griffiths allowed midfielder Sonny Carey to trickle home a last-minute winner for the hosts.

With the jubilant celebrations of Charlton boss Nathan Jones likely still burning in the eyes of the Albion faithful, Mason's men return to the Black Country this Saturday aiming to improve on their current 15th-placed standing, with West Brom five points behind the playoffs.

After playing three of their last four matches away from home and three straight defeats on the road, the Albion will be happy to be back at their Black Country base this weekend, with Mason's side playing out a lacklustre goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday last time out at The Hawthorns.

Leading West Brom's goalscoring charts with five strikes so far this term, Isaac Price is a star man for both club and Northern Ireland on the international stage, although the attacking midfielder's form has dipped recently, failing to find the net in his last three appearances.

Despite a successful campaign in retaining their spot in the Championship last season, it felt as if Oxford United were always set for another season of relegation fighting this time around, with Saturday's visitors to The Hawthorns arriving off the back of a heavy defeat.

Former Chelsea academy graduate Lewis Baker bagged a brace and Steven N'Zonzi found the net for Stoke at the Kassam Stadium on November 4, when the helpless U's were sentenced to a 3-0 loss, meaning that they have now won just one of their last four contests.

Following their seventh defeat of the season last time out, Gary Rowett's men are sitting precariously above the Championship's relegation zone in 21st, four points ahead of 22nd-placed Norwich City, who are experiencing a full-blown crisis under the tutelage of Liam Manning.

Rather surprisingly, the U's have fared better on their second-tier travels than at the Kassam Stadium this season, with their most recent success in the Championship coming on October 25, when goals from Cameron Brannagan and former West Brom loanee Will Lankshear secured a triumph at Sheffield Wednesday.

Oxford will be aiming to avoid a repeat of their only trip to The Hawthorns within the last decade, with goals from midfield duo Alex Mowatt and John Swift sealing a 2-0 success for West Brom over Saturday's visitors during a second-tier fixture back in February.

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

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Oxford United Championship form:

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Team News

West Brom remain without the services of influential midfielder Jayson Molumby, who picked up a muscular injury at the end of last month.

Reducing the Baggies' options at the back of the pitch, summer arrival George Campbell is currently nursing a groin problem, with the American expected to return in December.

After failing to score in their last three matches, Albion could finally unleash either Daryl Dike or Tammer Bany into a starting XI for the first time this season.

Struggling with a troublesome thigh injury, Oxford's Matt Phillips will be unable to feature against the side that he played 255 matches for between 2016 and 2014.

Last featuring at the end of October, Price's international teammate Brodie Spencer is sidelined for the U's ahead of this weekend's clash.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Griffiths; Gilchrist, Mepham, Phillips, Styles; Mowatt, Diakite; Iling-Junior, Price, Johnston; Maja

Oxford United possible starting lineup:

Cumming; Long, Helik, Brown, Leigh; Vaulks, Brannagan, Mills, De Keersmaecker, Dembele; Lankshear