West Bromwich Albion have not lost a competitive match this season, and they arrive on Tyneside tonight for a League Cup round-three tie their head coach has spent the week planning to change. James Morrison says he intends to alter his starting XI at Newcastle United, a side whose own season is a single game old: a 2-2 draw with Liverpool at St James' Park on Sunday.
The reason is the fixture list. Albion play twice in the north east inside a little over 60 hours, with a Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Middlesbrough to follow, and will stay in the region for four nights rather than travel back. "I have to get the balance right," Morrison said. "I have to think about the game on Saturday and players needing a rest. It is a challenging week." He added: "We have a lot of travel so we will stay up for the duration."
Whoever he picks will be without two senior players. Aune Heggebo is serving the second match of a two-game suspension for successfully deceiving match officials when he scored at Norwich City on the opening day, and Mikey Johnston remains out with an ankle injury. That thins the attack of a team that has scored nine goals in three competitive fixtures: four at Rotherham United in the previous round, two at Norwich, three against Burnley at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
One of those Burnley goals came from Harry Whitwell, the 20-year-old midfielder who has started all three matches under Morrison and whose contract expires next summer. Talks are ongoing. "We're all keen, as a club, to get it nailed down," Morrison said. He also intends to use the four days away to bed in his new signings.