Deon Burton says he is looking forward to an entertaining game when Albion Under-23s take on Aston Villa at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground on Monday night (ko 7pm).
The Baggies have won their last three league games and clocked up a third consecutive Premier League Cup win last time out, beating Hull City 2-1. They sit third in the Premier League 2 Division Two table, while their opposition are fifth and have won two of their last five league games.
And Burton believes his team are prepared for a lively encounter.
"Villa are going to be young, they’ll get in your face and play with a high tempo. They will try to play through the lines so it is going to be a good exciting game, and it’s one I am looking forward to, and so are our players.
“I thought we did well in difficult circumstances against Hull and played the conditions well to grind out a result. The tempo could have been better but we kept going until the end and Jamie Soule popped up with the winner.
“The performance was okay but I am always striving to try and improve the lads and make them better. We’re never content with how we’ve played as there can always be improvements. It was good to see Carrick Hill make the step up from our under-18s and get his first run out for the under-23s.
“This week has been good. We have spent a lot of it focusing on Villa, with a little bit of reflection on the Hull game. We will look to put a good performance in again on Monday.”
The game is a sell-out and supporters are urged not to attend if they do not have a ticket.