West Brom vs Birmingham City Preview: Team News, H2H & Prediction

West Bromwich Albion host Birmingham City in a West Midlands derby at The Hawthorns on Saturday, 10 October 2026 (kick-off 12:30 BST), in the Sky Bet Championship.

Both sides sit in the upper half of the table after eight games and will view this as a chance to push their early-season claims. West Brom are fifth with 14 points; Birmingham are 10th with 11. The Baggies remain unbeaten at home in the league this season, while the Blues have shown resilience with just one defeat in their recent run.

Form guide

West Brom entered the international break on a disappointing note, losing 1-0 to local rivals Wolves. Before that they had been solid under James Morrison, picking up results that kept them in the play-off conversation. Goals have been harder to come by of late, but Jimmy-Jay Morgan has offered a consistent threat.

Birmingham arrive in decent shape after a 2-2 home draw with Middlesbrough. Chris Davies’ side have mixed wins and draws in recent weeks and have scored regularly, making them awkward opponents on the road.

Team news

West Brom will be without right-back Nolan Galves for the rest of the season after a serious knee injury that required ACL reconstruction. Long-term absentee Mikey Johnston remains sidelined. Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Callum Styles both missed international duty with minor knocks but are expected to be available or close to full fitness. Max O’Leary is set to continue in goal, with a likely back four featuring Conor Townsend, Nathaniel Phillips and George Campbell.

Birmingham have several injury concerns. Max Bird, Demarai Gray and Taylor Gardner-Hickman were sidelined before the break; updates closer to the game will confirm their availability. Marc Leonard is a longer-term absentee following Achilles surgery. The Blues are expected to line up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 shape, with players such as Phil Neumann, Carlos Vicente, Jobe Stansfield and Liam Millar key to their attacking threat.

Head-to-head

Recent meetings between these West Midlands rivals have been tight. The sides drew 0-0 at St Andrew’s in February 2026 and 1-1 at The Hawthorns in November 2025. West Brom have the better recent record at home against Birmingham and will look to extend an unbeaten sequence in the fixture.

Across a longer sample of Championship encounters the games tend to be competitive and low-scoring, with both teams often finding the net.

Prediction

Home advantage and West Brom’s defensive solidity at The Hawthorns give the Baggies the edge. Birmingham will make it physical and competitive, as is typical of this derby, but Morrison’s side look better equipped to control key moments.

Prediction: West Brom 2-1 Birmingham City

A hard-fought Midlands derby is expected, with both teams needing the points to stay in touch with the early pace-setters. Kick-off is at 12:30 BST on Saturday.