Baggies’ top scorer will miss City trip
WEST Brom’s top scorer Brandon Thomas-Asante will be missing when the Baggies make the trip to the King Power Stadium for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off (12.30pm), writes Joseph Chapman.
The striker, above, serves a one-match ban after being sent off in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at The Hawthorns at the weekend.
Minutes before Pierre Ekwah’s strike on the stroke of half-time, Thomas-Asante was given his marching orders.
He saw red for two bookable offences which arrived in the space of two minutes as the game - which Albion had previously been dominating - turned dramatically on its head.
Thomas-Asante first caught Jack Clarke late and was rightly booked, before he took out centre half Dan Ballard a minute later – and referee Matthew Donohue was left with no choice but to show him a red card.
Ekwah then scored and the Black Cats did enough to hold onto their lead in the second half.
Thomas-Asante has scored 12 goals this season for Albion, who are fifth in the Championship and still need another positive result or two to ensure they make the playoffs.
The Baggies have been without Thomas-Asante’s fellow strikers Josh Maja and Daryl Dike for large stretches of the season because of injury, although Maja could be involved at the King Power Stadium.
For Leicester, they’ll be hoping for the comforts of home after a punishing week on the road, with two 1-0 defeats at Millwall and relegation-threatened Plymouth on Friday night.
City welcome Albion on Saturday and then Southampton next Tuesday, which is shaping up to be a crucial fixture in the battle to win automatic promotion.