West Brom host Blackburn looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat at Bolton on Sunday afternoon. The Baggies created chance after chance in the game but failed to take any of their chances, something which is likely to lead to a defeat with the serious problem they seem to have preventing the opposition scoring this season.
Di Matteo's men have only kept two clean sheets in their last 16 Premier League games at the Hawthorns - against Sunderland on both occasions. The Baggies have been in mixed form at home, recording victories against Birmingham, Fulham, Sunderland and Newcastle but losing to Manchester City and Stoke.
Despite the setback at Bolton meaning that Albion have lost their last two Premier League games, fans will be confident that they can get back to winning ways against a struggling Blackburn side.
Albion went one better than Manchester United this season when they beat Rovers 8-1 in a Division One clash - but that was way back in 1936 and even the most positive of Baggies fans surely won't be predicting such a scoreline.
Rovers Hoping To Keep 11 Men On The Pitch For A Change
Blackburn will travel to the Hawthorns hoping they can end the game as they begin it, with 11 players on the pitch. Rovers have had a man sent off in their last two Premier League matches against the Baggies - with Benni McCarthy seeing red after scoring the opening goal in the last meeting between the sides at the Hawthorns, a 2-2 draw.
The Midlands has not been a happy hunting ground for Rovers - they've recorded just one victory in their last 11 Premier League matches in the region. Like their opponents, they have also been poor defensively this season and have failed to keep a clean sheet in any away game.
Fans travelling south to the game should remain optimistic even if their side fall behind as remarkably Rovers' last five goals away from home have been scored in the 80th minute or later. Steve Kean will be hoping that his side don't have to leave it that late on Tuesday, after an inauspicious start to his managerial career - a draw and a defeat not the ideal start for a man who claims a mid-table finish is a minimum this season.
TEAM NEWS
West Brom
West Brom will be without arguably their best player of the season so far after Chris Brunt picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign in the 89th minute of the 2-0 loss at Bolton on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman would have had his slate wiped clean on January 1 but will now be unavailable for Tuesday's game. Brunt will be a big loss to the Baggies - only Manchester United's Nani has as many assists as the Albion wideman.
Fellow winger Jerome Thomas is also a doubt after the former Arsenal man missed the Boxing Day clash with Bolton Wanderers due to illness. Speaking to the club's official site, manager Roberto Di Matteo said: "We'll have to see how he [Thomas] feels tomorrow when he comes in."
Albion are still without long-term absentee Jonas Olsson, who will not return from his Achilles injury until the end of January at the earliest.
Possible starting XI: Carson; Jara, Scharner, Tamas, Shorey; Odemwingie, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Tchoyi, Morrison; Fortune.
Blackburn Rovers
Steve Kean is sweating on the fitness of 'wantaway' defender Christopher Samba - who missed the Boxing Day clash against Stoke with an ankle injury.
If the giant centre-back does play, it seems certain that he will stripped of the captaincy after expressing publicly his desire to leave the club in the wake of Sam Allardyce's departure.
Vince Grella (Achilles), Steven Nzonzi (hamstring) and Keith Andrews (groin) remain sidelined but could be back in contention early in the New Year, whilst Rovers are definitely without Jason Roberts for a month (hamstring) and young academy graduate Phil Jones until the end of the season (knee ligament).
Possible starting XI: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet; Emerton, Dunn, Hanley, Pedersen, M Diouf; Kalinic.
Prediction
The Baggies will be looking to recover from back-to-back defeats in the league and will expect three points against a Blackburn side to halt their slide down the table towards the relegation zone.
Rovers themselves have struggled since the surprise sacking of Sam Allardyce, managing a draw against West Ham and losing to Stoke City on Sunday. Steve Kean will undoubtedly have his players pumped up for the game and Rovers' physicality could ruffle a few feathers at the Hawthorns, where the Albion like to play pretty, passing football.
But Di Matteo has installed a 'steel' into the Albion side that wasn't present under his predecessor Tony Mowbray and I expect the home side to be too strong for Blackburn. An early onslaught and a high tempo from West Brom should be enough to see over Rovers, who will be hoping that they can keep things tight and perhaps sneak a winner on the break.
Rovers themselves have struggled since the surprise sacking of Sam Allardyce, managing a draw against West Ham and losing to Stoke City on Sunday. Steve Kean will undoubtedly have his players pumped up for the game and Rovers' physicality could ruffle a few feathers at the Hawthorns, where the Albion like to play pretty, passing football.
But Di Matteo has installed a 'steel' into the Albion side that wasn't present under his predecessor Tony Mowbray and I expect the home side to be too strong for Blackburn. An early onslaught and a high tempo from West Brom should be enough to see over Rovers, who will be hoping that they can keep things tight and perhaps sneak a winner on the break.
West Bromwich 3-1 Blackburn 
