The Baggies beat the Lilywhites at Deepdale to move up to eighth in the Championship table and Carlos Corberan’s side will aim to qualify for the play-offs if they can pick up another three points against the Albion faithful.
After claiming one of the weekend’s results, the Black side extended their unbeaten run to four matches, while their Wednesday opponents got off to a poor start.
The Owls led by Xisco Munoz are at the bottom of the standings with just 2 points from their opening 9 matches and to make matters worse, they have not tasted victory against the Hawthorns since 2007.
At Football League World, we break down the WBA players expected to miss Tuesday night’s game with Wednesday’s.
Josh Maja’s arrival from Bordeaux earlier this summer sparked excitement from all involved with the West Midlands side, but the 24-year-old faces being sidelined after suffering a tear ankle ligaments in the Baggies’ goalless draw with Bristol City in September. The club announced the Nigeria international will be absent for the next eight weeks, dealing a blow to Brandon Thomas-Asante remaining as the only recognized striker available for Corberan.
With the fixture scheduled, Maja will miss the match against the Owls but could return as soon as possible after the international break in November.
Adding to the injuries in the attacking department is US international Daryl Dike, who continues to improve after rupturing his Achilles tendon last season at Stoke City in April.
This is the 23-year-old’s third serious injury in 15 months at Albion, after Dike underwent successful surgery.
The Baggies do not expect Dike to return until December at the earliest, but after suffering another long-term injury in such a short space of time, the former Barnsley striker could not return until early 2024.
Another long-term absentee is Adam Reach, who damaged his quartet in the pre-season friendly against Burton Albion.
The 30-year-old has spent a lot of time in the Second Division, making more than 350 appearances in total for Albion, Middlesborough, Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday. Capable of playing at full-back, left-wing or central midfield, Reach’s versatility is a big miss for the WBA squad, with the versatile player a key piece to have in the long run champion.
After undergoing successful surgery, Reach will not be reunited with his former owners and is expected to be sidelined until December.
