Jim Magilton again has selection dilemmas ahead of the Blues' home game with West Bromwich Albion. Magilton has named a 21-man squad but is without key midfielder Gavin Williams.

The Wales international is out of action for the whole of October having undergone groin surgery. Williams was unavailable for Saturday's game in any case after picking up five bookings for the season.

Magilton has said he will make changes to the side which lost 1-0 at Colchester and will again have to choose between Lewis Price and Shane Supple for the goalkeeper's position. Price has had a shaky couple of games for the Blues, although put in an impressive display as he won his third full Wales cap against Cyprus on Wednesday.

The Town boss will also have to decide whether to recall Alex Bruce for Richard Naylor at centre-half. Bruce was left on the bench at Colchester a fortnight ago having missed two games through suspension and an agreement that he couldn't face former club Birmingham City.

At right-back Sito has impressed in recent weeks having come in for Fabian Wilnis while the Dutchman was out with a thigh injury. Wilnis is now fully fit and after a return to the first team.

In midfield, Mark Noble, Sylvain Legwinski and Simon Walton have settled in well since joining the club in August, while Williams's place in the side was taken by Darren Currie at Colchester. The former Brighton man is again in the running for a start, although Magilton may favour the greater workrate of Matt Richards.

Martin Brittain and Jaime Peters are both on the bench and could well play a role in the second half.

Up front Alan Lee has made himself first pick, but Magilton again has options alongside the Irish international. Jon Macken was unlucky not to open his goals account at Layer Road, but Billy Clarke is pushing him for his place with his pacy goal-scoring performances from the bench.

Magilton says his side are itching to get back into action and erase the memory of the defeat at Colchester: "We have had a two-week rest, which has been a chance to get the cobwebs out of our system and I can sense the players are eager to get back to playing again.

"They are chomping at the bit, which is exactly how it should be, and as much as we enjoy these little breaks and the way it gives us a chance to reflect and analyse, we all want to be back in the swing of things.

"We have two home games coming up and we need to take advantage of that. It is important we continue the good form we had shown before the game at Colchester.

"But Albion will give us a tough game. They are a team full of quality but our lads will be ready for them and I can see it being a real humdinger.

"We are going to have to start this game well. Albion came from a man down to beat Leeds 4-2 last time out and their confidence will be sky high.

"But we had gone six games unbeaten before Colchester and we need to start another run right away if we can. That will be as good a way as any of getting our confidence back and moving forward."

Albion will be led by caretaker-manager Nigel Pearson for the last time, a man with the unique distinction of having failed to land the manager's job at both Portman Road and the Hawthorns in recent months. Former Blue Tony Mowbray is expected to officially take control on Monday but is likely to be watching his old side and his new club in action from the directors' box.

Pearson says he is concentrating on the game and is trying to ignore matters off the field: "There is speculation but that is something I have no say over, so I just get on with it.

"I've made my position clear on where I stand. There have been developments over the last 24 hours but that won't affect my preparation or those of my players. We have a job to do and a game we want to do.

"I've been pleased by how my players have performed. They've come out with a lot of credit and been very professional.

"There's still room for improvement and what we have to do is hit those levels of performance regularly and I'm sure we'll achieve those ambitions.

"It's a game, an important fixture because we're in a chasing pack and we want to win the game. There's no other motivation other than I like to win games."

Pearson has a number of players back from injury in time to face the Blues. Nigel Quashie is in contention after an ankle problem but may not yet be fit enough to start.

Central defender Curtis Davies is back after a broken foot, while Nathan Ellington (thigh), Ronnie Wallwork (calf) and Steve Watson (thigh) have recovered having missed the Leeds match.

Keeper Russell Hoult picked up a dead leg playing for the reserves in the week and is considered a doubt.

Summer Town target Paul McShane is serving a one-match ban, while ex-Blue Thomas Gaardsøe is still on the sidelines with the ankle injury which could force him to hang up his boots. Neil Clement is not yet fit enough to be considered after knee surgery.

Saturday's referee is Andy Woolmer from Cambridgeshire, who has shown 39 yellow and two red cards in 11 games so far this season. His previous Town match was the 1-0 defeat at Wolves in February.

Town squad: Squad: Barron, Bowditch, Brittain, Bruce, Clarke, Currie, De Vos, Harding, Lee, Legwinski, Macken, Miller, Naylor, Noble, Peters, Price, Richards, Sito, Supple, Walton, Wilnis.

Photo: Action Images

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