Josh Maja or Wilson Isidor? A combined West Brom and Sunderland XI with shock inclusion

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Tony Mowbray returns to Sunderland for the first time since his sacking, with West Brom hosting Regis Le Bris’ side on Saturday.

The fixture sees fourth face sixth, with both sides looking to win the play-offs after achieving their place in the top six. That is all but assured for Sunderland, but they will hope to end the campaign with some form and momentum.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
2	LeedsLeeds	39	23	12	4	78	27	51	81
3	BurnleyBurnley	39	22	15	2	53	11	42	81
4	SunderlandSunderland	39	20	12	7	56	37	19	72
5	CoventryCoventry	39	17	8	14	56	51	5	59
6	West BromWest Brom	39	13	18	8	48	35	13	57
7	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	39	16	9	14	59	49	10	57
8	Bristol CityBristol City	39	14	15	10	49	42	7	57
9	WatfordWatford	39	15	8	16	47	51	-4	53

They drew 0-0 in the November fixture at the Stadium of Light, with Carlos Corberan still in charge of the Baggies. It could be a pivotal weekend again for them in the play-off run in, should they claim victory and tighten their grip on their top six place ahead of their play-off competition.

On paper, both sides have plenty of quality individuals who are among the best players in the Championship. But who has a better squad? Who has more players in a combined XI? We take a look.

• READ MORE: Sunderland fans all make the same point about Trai Hume after Millwall victory, historic claim made

West Brom and Sunderland combined line-up

Mowbray will be looking to get one over on his former side, but he has plenty of work to do in the final seven games to secure a play-off berth, including West Brom records to break. That’s because the Baggies have never won promotion to the top flight via the play-offs.

Sunderland have been without numerous key first-team players recently, including Enzo Le Fee and Dennis Cirkin. Josh Maja’s injury woes have hampered West Brom’s play-off chances, but which make the combined team? We take a look at who makes the cut for this formidable line-up.

GK: Anthony Patterson

Had Alex Palmer’s January not happened, this would have been a tight call. As it is, Anthony Patterson makes this an obvious pick — in spite of some recent issues in the Sunderland goal.

RB: Trai Hume

Darnell Furlong may be one of the most consistent and reliable options at right-back, but Trai Hume is up there with the very best in the division.

CB: Chris Mepham

The Welshman hasn’t always started for Sunderland this term. However, for us, he is the obvious standout central defender on their books, even with Luke O’Nien’s leadership and Dan Ballard’s power.

CB: Torbjorn Heggem

Despite having played plenty of the season as a full-back, Torbjorn Heggem has shown he is a classy operator at centre-back. Kyle Bartley glues plenty of the back line together, but no one is as talented as the Norwegian.

LB: Dennis Cirkin

Cirkin, like Hume, is one of the best full-backs in the division. He was always going to start here after a fantastic season thus far in a red and white shirt.

CM: Alex Mowatt

Controversial? We don’t think so. Alex Mowatt is one of the most underrated Championship players and thoroughly deserving of a place in this side, in spite of Sunderland’s midfield strength.

CM: Jobe Bellingham

Jobe Bellingham or Dan Neil? Certainly not an easy decision. We’ve leaned to the former due to his maturity and physical prowess shown over the course of this season. Neil is fabulous but Bellingham, like his brother, is able to be so utterly dominant and impose himself on games.

RW: Tom Fellows

Speaking of underrated, Tom Fellows is another excellent player with a bright future ahead of him. The winger is the subject of top-flight interest, Fellows has output and the creativity required to cause plenty of issues to the majority of full-backs.

AM: Enzo Le Fee

We may not have seen much of him since his loan switch from AS Roma, but Le Fee is clearly a cut above the level. He’s arguably the best player in the league, such is his pedigree and reputation. He could be vital in the run-in.

LW: Romaine Mundle

You wonder where Sunderland would be had Romaine Mundle remained fit all season. The flashy and dynamic winger has bags of quality and speed. Not many have the ability to excite to the extent he can; a true match-winner.

CF: Wilson Isidor

Perhaps the most controversial pick on the list, Wilson Isidor is one of the signings of the season. The Frenchman edges a really close call with Maja. The ex-Black Cat is one of the best strikers in the division, but Isidor just edges this one.

• READ MORE: How Mike Dodds could play an integral role in Borussia Dortmund’s pursuit of Sunderland duo

Sunderland and West Brom’s play-off chances

West Brom have plenty of work to do and some difficult games to come to ensure they make the top six in back-to-back seasons, while Sunderland have it almost wrapped up.

Per Opta, Sunderland have a 99.88% chance of a play-off place, while West Brom have a 52.9% chance. That makes them the sixth-most likely ahead of teams in seventh and below currently, but with less of a chance than Coventry City.

Should they make it all the way to Wembley, both will be aware that finals are usually cagey affairs, but the best play-off finals ever should be some inspiration, if not the financial reward of promotion.

They could yet face each other again if they avoid one another in the semi-finals and both book their place in the richest game in football.