West Brom could be without Kyle Bartley and Matt Phillips for Steve Bruce's first game in charge at Sheffield United tomorrow night.

The Albion hierarchy made the decision to sack Valerien Ismael after a disappointing run of form that saw the team drop down to sixth in the table after previously challenging for automatic promotion. They turned to Bruce, who will begin his Baggies reign against his former club.

And, whilst he has a big group to select from, the new boss confirmed to the club's official site that there are doubts over the two experienced players.

"Unfortunately we have a couple of issues in terms of fitness ahead of the game. We might have lost Kyle Bartley because he is sick and Matty Phillips because he has a foot injury. We don’t know the extent of it at this moment in time."

The game against the Blades could have a big impact on the play-off race, as Albion can move six clear of the Yorkshire outfit if they win, whilst they will be level on points with Sheffield United if they lose - and they will have played two games more.

The verdict

This is far from ideal for Bruce as he would've wanted to have the pair, who have proven themselves at this level in the past, available for what is a very tough game.

It's also a major setback for Bartley and Phillips, because they would've been desperate to prove themselves to the manager at the first opportunity.

But, these things happen in football and there's still a chance they will feature, so it will be interesting to see the XI that goes out at Bramall Lane.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.