West Brom vs Man Utd

Barclays Premier League

• Venue: The Hawthorns
• Date: Sunday, 14 August
• Kick-off: 1600 BST
• Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day 2; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

West Brom v Man Utd

TEAM NEWS

West Brom's Steven Reid is doubtful with a torn calf muscle but Peter Odemwingie (ankle) and Youssouf Mulumbu (abdominal strain) should be fit.

Winger Jerome Thomas (dead leg) and midfielder Paul Scharner (Achilles) also expect to play.

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez misses out with concussion.

Danny Welbeck, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra are all doubts after pulling out of international duty this week with knocks.

MATCH PREVIEW

How Sir Alex must have enjoyed his summer! There was Carlos Tevez undermining the noisy neighbours, Cesc Fabregas irritating Arsene Wenger, then he beat Liverpool to signing both Phil Jones and Ashley Young.

Beating Manchester City in the Community Shield was the icing on the cake. Just don't mention Barcelona.

The champions start their bid for title number 20 at the Hawthorns - one of only five away grounds on which they won league matches last season. Just how they won is still anybody's guess. Remember Gary Neville's foul on Graham Dorrans, and referee Chris Foy turning down one of the season's clearest penalties? Neville never played again, retirement was his only serious option after being given a terrible run around. Peter Odemwingie then missed a late penalty which would have put Albion in front; inevitably Javier Hernandez scored the winner.

A few weeks later and Roy Hodgson replaced Roberto Di Matteo as Albion head coach. He's done an incredible job; they were 17th when he took over and they finished 11th.

I will also credit Hodgson for what I reckon will prove to be one of the best value-for-money transfer deals done by a Premier League club this summer. In an age in which £20m can change hands with barely an eyebrow being raised, to pay less than £7m for Shane Long is a stroke of genius.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• West Brom have lost the last seven times they have hosted Manchester United in the league, a run stretching back to 1984.
• The Baggies came back from 2-0 down to hold United to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last season but lost 2-1 at the Hawthorns.

West Brom

• West Brom kept only two clean sheets in the Premier League last season.
• Players of 15 different nationalities scored for West Brom in the Premier League last term, the biggest spread in the league.
• West Brom were thumped 6-0 by Chelsea on the opening day of the 2010-2011 season.

Manchester United

• United won just five away games in last season's Premier League. Only two sides have ever won a 20+ team English title with fewer away wins: Sheffield Wednesday in 1929-30 (3) and Newcastle United in 1906-07 (4).
• Manchester United substitutes scored 11 goals in 2010-11, more than any other Premier League team.
• The Red Devils scored more headed goals (18) than any other team in the Premier League last season.

From BBC