Pablo Hernandez has been talking up West Bromwich Albion’s promotion hopes, with the Leeds United ace admitting that he is expecting Darren Moore’s side to be challenging for a Premier League return later in the season.  

Leeds and Hernandez head to the Hawthorns on Saturday evening to take on the Baggies, with two of the Championship’s promotion rivals going up against each other in one of the weekend’s standout fixtures.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds enter the clash having picked up seven points from the last nine available, whilst West Brom are looking for a return to winning ways after losing three of the last four.

That indifferent form has seen Moore’s side drop out of the top-six, but Hernandez has highlighted the quality in their squad, admitting that he’s sure they will be challenging for promotion this season.

Discussing Saturday’s opponents with @LUFC, the 33-year-old said: “They're a good team, they've kept a lot of players from last year. I'm sure in the end they'll be fighting for the Premier League.”

So far this season, West Brom are the only side with a better goalscoring record than Leeds, having scored 33 goals in 16 fixtures.

However, Albion’s defensive record is poor, with Moore’s side conceding 24 goals in that time, which is considerably more than any of their promotion rivals at this stage.

The Verdict  

Many people will agree with Hernandez here, as West Brom’s squad looks incredibly strong on paper.

Before their recent blip, it looked like Moore’s side could potentially pull away at the top of the table.

That hasn’t happened, but victory over Leeds at the weekend could spark a good run of form that puts the Baggies right back in contention.

Thoughts? Let us know!

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