Who will run the West Brom engine room against Sheffield Wednesday in the absence of key duo? We asked a West Brom writer for the inside track on all things Baggies

But who are the Baggies’ key men and what should Wednesday look out for? We asked Express & Star West Brom writer Luke Hatfield for the inside track on Slaven Bilic’s high-flying outfit.

West Brom are flying at the top of the league. Was this expected?

I think it's fair to say a push for promotion was to be expected, but to see Albion performing quite as well as they have wasn't.

The summer was a fairly tumultuous one, all things considered. The Baggies waved goodbye to the likes of Dwight Gayle, Craig Dawson and Jay Rodriguez, so there was plenty of talent that needed to be replaced.

Add to that a new manager coming in, and Albion would've probably been forgiven a slow start. But they've got off on the best foot possible so far.

There have been some quality additions to the side, and under Slaven Bilic they have a boss who can read games superbly.

I think it's a matter of managing expectations now. If you'd have asked an Albion fan what would be an acceptable season in August, I think they'd have settled for a play-off jaunt. Ask them now, and a finish outside of the automatic places would be somewhat disappointing after such a strong start.

How has Slaven Bilic taken to life at the club?

Like a duck to water.

I had some reservations when Bilic first came in, but he's silenced any critics with the way he's got this West Brom side firing, and so soon.

He always seems to nail his tactical switches over the course of 90 minutes. I've lost count of the amount of times a game seems to be going against Albion, only for Bilic to tweak something and get a result.

He's well loved by the fans too. That's helped by results of course, but he seems to be a brilliant fit with the club.

The Baggies lost two of the division's top six scorers last season in Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez. How have they gone about making up for that so successfully?

This was the big worry for Albion fans everywhere over the summer. Rodriguez was very good last season, but Gayle was something else - had they had him available for the second leg of the play-off semi-finals last season who knows where the club would be now.

Losing them was a downer, but Albion have done very well to replace their goals, but have done so with their signings in midfield as opposed to up front.

Grady Diangana, in on-loan from West Ham, has been superb - in fact there are worries he could be recalled by the Hammers in January thanks to their drop in form. If that happens it could potentially throw a spanner in the works at The Hawthorns.

Matheus Pereira has come in too and provided a real spark. Albion have somehow negotiated an obligation to buy for just £8.25m with Sporting CP - he's worth far, far more than that judging by his performances. From what I've seen of him he could play in the top flight without issue.

Strangely enough, the real question marks surround the strikers they brought in. Kenneth Zohore has done little to justify his price tag, and Charlie Austin, whilst working hard for the team, hasn't found his shooting boots.

Goals have been chipped in around the park too, so the Baggies have threats all over the pitch for opposing teams to worry about.

Just how good is Romaine Sawyers?

Very, very good. Wednesday are lucky he won't be available to face them on Saturday, thanks to him racking up five yellow cards and earning himself a one-game suspension. Jake Livermore is in the same boat too.

Sawyers has been the glue in this Albion team, helping to move the ball forward and also doing his fair share of defensive work.

He's the king of the 'hockey-assist', he often makes the pass before the assist, and he deserves immense credit for that.

Sawyers may not hit the back of the net too often, but he's a silent killer on a football pitch. When he plays well, Albion win - it's as simple as that.

Chris Brunt was a big fan favourite at Hillsborough - what does he mean to West Brom supporters and how much of an asset is he now?

Brunt has been a massive part of the Baggies for quite a while now.

With well over 300 appearances to his name, he's almost a part of the furniture at The Hawthorns now, albeit one which is rarely used anymore.

At 34, I think he'd admit that his best days are probably behind him, and frankly - his chances of making regular appearances, let alone starts, are slim.

Funnily enough, with Sawyers and Livermore both missing for Saturday, he's got much more of a chance of starting against the Owls than he has recently - but I wouldn't put much of a stake on that happening.

He's certainly got a big role to play in the dressing room, and I'm sure he'll come on at some point over the season and pop up with a meaningful goal or assist. But you sense that with the younger talent in their ranks that Brunty's opportunities will be limited.

How will West Brom set up? Who are the players Wednesday should be paying special attention to?

Here's my predicted line-up (4-2-3-1): Johnstone; Furlong, Bartley, Hegazi, Gibbs; Ajayi, Krovinovic; Phillips, Pereira, Diangana; Austin.

In terms of players to watch out for, take your pick.

Pereira and Diangana are the two you really need to be careful of. Both of them are capable of magic and cause havoc running at defences going into the final third. If they're both on it, you could be in for a long day.

Matt Phillips has been in great goalscoring form, on his day he can turn a game on its head. Even when he's having a poor afternoon I still wouldn't bet against him getting on the end of something.

Charlie Austin has pedigree, but hasn't been in good form. You wouldn't want to afford him space in the penalty area though - for obvious reasons.

At the other end, Sam Johnstone is a bit of an unsung hero for the Baggies this season. He's produced some brilliant heroics between the sticks over the campaign's start, he can win points through his saves.

One area which Wednesday may be able to take advantage of is in defence.

Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley have been quality this season in central defence, but with the former potentially moving into midfield, Ahmed Hegazi (who was brilliant last year, to be fair) will likely fill his boots at the back.

The Egyptian didn't look brilliant in a cameo appearance against Boro after recovering from Ankle surgery. That switch around could weaken Albion's back line, which has looked a little shaky at times.

Of course, if the back line stays the same, then this is a mute point.