West Brom team news: Steve Bruce makes key Andy Carroll call for Fulham test

Steve Bruce has named an unchanged line-up for West Bromwich Albion’s clash with Championship leaders Fulham at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies fought back from two goals down to seal a 2-2 draw with Huddersfield Town on Friday night. But there’s no place in the XI for Andy Carroll after the January signing netted his first goal for the club against the Terriers.

Carroll started Bruce’s first five games in charge of Albion, but the former Newcastle United striker has dropped out of the team for the last two fixtures. Bruce has again selected the strike-force of Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant in a 3-5-2 formation.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone also keeps his place, despite calls from some supporters for the 28-year-old to be dropped after two errors in the draw with Huddersfield. The only change to the entire squad sees back-up goalkeeper David Button drop out for Alex Palmer.

Bruce came out in defence of Johnstone at his press conference on Monday, saying: “He’s been a very good goalkeeper here for years. Wasn’t he the player of the year last year?

“He will be disappointed. Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how you react and recover from it and I’m confident Sam will do that.”

A win against Fulham will lift Albion above Preston and Blackpool and into the top half of the table. But that is easier said than done against a team which has scored 90 goals in their 36 Championship fixtures this term.

Johnstone; Ajayi, Bartley, Clarke; Furlong, Gardner-Hickman, Livermore, Mowatt, Townsend; Robinson, Grant

Palmer, O’Shea, Kipre, Reach, Molumby, Diangana, Carroll