West Brom – Everton Preview: Baggies look to keep first clean sheet in 35 matches

BPL, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, Steven Pienaar and Paul Scharner (Getty Images)

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The hosts will be without the services of Graham Dorrans (ankle) again, but Roy Hodgson could welcome back several players from injury and Paul Scharner could return from his suspension, whilst Pablo Ibanez remains sidelined.

Marek Cech, Steven Reid, Chris Brunt and Gianni Zuiverloon were all welcomed back to training this week and all could feature, with the latter likely to start at right-back should he be deemed fit enough, otherwise expect to see Reid start in the right full-back berth after Gonzalo Jara’s poor performance in the last match against Wolves.

For the trip to The Hawthorns David Moyes will have almost a full squad available for selection, with the only notable absentees being Louis Saha and Marouane Fellaini.

Tim Cahill will likely continue his role of being used as a substitute after he revealed he is very much playing through the pain-barrier after being told just three weeks ago that he would not play again this season, whilst John Heitinga should start in midfield once again after making a successful comeback from injury in the win over Manchester City in Everton’s last fixture.

• In the Premier League, Everton have won five of the nine matches against the Baggies, whilst West Brom have three victories to their name with there being just the one draw, which was played out at Goodison Park on May 7, 2006.

• The highest-scoring match ever between these two came on September 17, 1966, a 5-4 win for hosts Everton.

• West Brom’s Nigerian international striker Peter Odemwingie (pictured right) has scored in each of his last five Premier League matches, a record no one else in the league can match, and should he find the net on Saturday he will beat his own personal best goal-tally of 15.

• After winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for April, the Nigerian joined an elite list of players who had won the award more than once in a season, with the others being Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Ashley Young, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney.

• In their last six matches in all competitions, Everton have lost just once, with that game finishing 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford back on April 23.

• In West Brom’s last six games they have lost two, won three and drawn once, with the victories coming against Arsenal, Sunderland and Aston Villa.