This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...
West Brom head into the weekend visit of Charlton with manager Slaven Bilic looking to open up a lead on Leeds United, who currently trail them by two points in the Championship.
Ahead of the visit of Lee Bowyer's side, Bilic has a few selection decisions to consider, particularly on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw against struggling Barnsley in mid-week.
One option is to bring back centre-back Ahmed Hegazi and get some minutes into his legs after a long lay-off through injury.
Is it time for the Egyptian centre-back to start for the Baggies against the Addicks?
We discuss.........
Josh Cole
“Having conceded twice to Barnsley on Tuesday night, West Brom will be aiming to produce a better defensive performance against a free-scoring Charlton Athletic side on Saturday.
“Yet whilst Semi Ajayi has made an impressive start to life at the Hawthorns, the jury is still out on whether Kyle Bartley can deliver the goods on a consistent basis in the Championship.
“Therefore, it may be worth Bilic replacing Bartley with Hegazi who recently made his return from injury in West Brom’s 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough last weekend.
“Unquestionably one of the Baggies’ star performers last season, the defender helped his side reach the play-offs by featuring on 38 occasions in the second-tier.
“If Hegazi can hit the ground running for West Brom over the coming months, Bilic’s side may find themselves in a fantastic position to secure a return to the top-flight in 2020.”
Ben Lang
"West Brom would have probably been desperate to get Hegazi back fit before the start of the season, but I don't think there's any reason for them to change a winning formula.
"Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley have formed a solid defensive partnership this term, and this means that neither deserved to be dropped from the side after only losing one game so far.
"Hegazi's introduction to the side seems inevitable at some point over the season, but I can't see this happening until there is real reason to do so, as Bilic will see no need to interrupt the current rhythm of the side.
"Hegazi is a top defender at Championship level, but he must be patient in his waiting for a starting place given West Brom's impressive start."
[freshpress-poll ]
George Harbey
"I think that it would be a wise choice to start Hegazi on Saturday if he's fit and available - his return will be a massive boost for the Baggies in their quest for promotion.
"Hegazi enjoyed a really positive season with Albion last season, putting in a series of solid performances for the Baggies as they reached the play-off semi-finals.
"Kyle Bartley has had a decent start to the campaign, but I can't wait to see how Semi Ajayi performs alongside Hegazi when the pair start to build a solid relationship and understanding at the back.
"They have been conceding far too many goals of late, but Hegazi will offer leadership upon his return to Bilic's starting line-up."