When Valerien Ismael took over at West Bromwich Albion earlier this summer, some may have questioned whether the Frenchman was experienced enough to take on the daunting prospect of securing the Baggies an immediate return to the Premier League this season.

However, after just three Championship fixtures, any such doubts have been rather substantially quashed, with Ismael's side topping the table having scored a league-high nine goals and comfortably dispatching one of their potential promotion rivals Sheffield United 4-0.

As such, confidence will undoubtedly be high in the Albion dressing room heading into today's clash with Blackburn Rovers, and the 45-year-old could yet be handed a further boost ahead of the fixture at Ewood Park.

Having made just eight appearances since his move to West Brom due to a recurring back injury, Robert Snodgrass now appears to be nearing full fitness, having scored two goals and provided one assist in a recent outing for the Baggies' under-23 side.

If the Scotland international is indeed ready for a return to first team action this weekend, it would appear wise for Ismael to unleash the versatile winger - who can also play in central midfield - against Blackburn.

As previously mentioned, the £38k-per-week earner has not really had the chance to impress so far in his career at The Hawthorns. However, in his last full season for West Ham United, the 33-year-old proved that he could well be a hugely valuable asset in the Baggies' promotion push this term.

Indeed, over his 24 Premier League appearances in the Hammers' 2019/20 campaign, Snodgrass scored five goals, registered five assists and created five big chances for his teammates, taking 0.9 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man who Ismael dubbed a "refreshing" personality earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as the Irons' sixth-best performer in the top flight that season.

As such, a fully fit Snodgrass clearly has the ability to play a key role in Ismael's West Brom side this term, with his potential presence in the Albion line-up on Saturday being a sight which will surely terrify Blackburn's defenders.

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