Wanderers were today warned to be wary of the hidden dangers posed by crisis club West Brom.

The Black Country club has major problems on and off the field with no cash to improve a side which is in freefall after eight games without a victory.

But Reebok assistant manager Phil Brown insists that one ounce of complacency by Wanderers when the teams clash today could be fatal.

Dangerous

The Baggies are licking their wounds after a Boxing Day 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City and Brown believes this wounded animal could be at its most dangerous in the enemy territory of the Reebok Stadium today.

"They are a dangerous side because of their situation," he warned.

"They will be a bit more relaxed away from home and will be feeling aggrieved about being beaten by City when they didn't deserve it until the goals.

"They are having a bad time and we have to try and add to it and make sure we guard against the dangers."

Today's clash could not come quickly enough for both teams albeit for contrasting reasons.

Wanderers are itching for action after being frustrated by the postponement of their Boxing Day match at Port Vale just as they were about to begin their journey while West Brom are desperate to end their bleak run.

The Baggies, who got a new chairman on Christmas Eve and had to sell star winger Kevin Kilbane for £2.5m to easy their debts, could have one boost today with influential 36-year-old midfielder Andy Townsend ready to return after three weeks out with a knee injury.

Hawthorns assistant boss Allan Evans, who is likely to be in charge for the second game in 48 hours with manager Brian Little laid up in bed with flu, confirmed: "Andy is not far away from starting a game and will certainly come into contention against Bolton."

West Brom are expected to be otherwise unchanged while Wanderers' could make wholesale changes from the team which knocked Cardiff City out of the FA Cup last time out but needs to kick start its First Division campaign after three straight defeats.

Midfielder Gareth Farrelly and on-loan right back Darren Holloway are in the frame after being unavailable for the cup game. Defender John O'Kane, who missed the last four games with an injured ankle, will be looking to make his first start since turning his loan move from Everton into a permanent deal and on-loan Hearts and Scotland defender Paul Ritchie is also challenging strongly for a place in the back line.

Frenchman Franck Passi will also be hoping to get the nod to continue where he left off in his first start against Cardiff after signing on for another month with Wanderers.

To add to manager Sam Allardyce's selection poser, he also has striker Dean Holdsworth and the versatile Paul Warhurst available, if lacking match practice, after injury.

Clean sheets

The squad was put through a tough physical training session on Boxing Day and trained again yesterday after which Allardyce was left to pick his 11 for today's game.

Brown added: "We've done well in the cup recently and we need to turn that into league performances.

"The defensive side is important. The clean sheets we got against Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff have got to be carried into our league form.

"We have had eight clean sheets out of 20 games which isn't bad and if we get the defence right we should get something out of this game."

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