Morrison could offload Heggebo by releasing the West Brom star who is not a striker

West Bromwich Albion moved five points clear of the relegation zone at the weekend with a 2-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale in the Championship.

Goals from Josh Maja and Daryl Dike secured three points for James Morrison’s side, who are now eight games unbeaten in the second division.

Aune Heggebo registered his 14th goal of the campaign, with ten goals and four assists, assisting Maja’s first-half goal in the Lancashire game.

The Norwegian forward was fortunate to assist the goal, however, as Maja took the ball from his fellow striker in the box to find the bottom corner.

Despite assisting the opening goal in the game, it was far from a spectacular performance from the 24-year-old striker, who should be left out of the playing XI.

Why West Brom should drop Aune Heggebo against Watford

The Baggies host Watford at The Hawthorns on Tuesday night and Morrison should leave Heggebo out of the starting line-up, despite his contribution.

Ironically, the former SK Brann star summed up what went wrong with his display, as it was a poor game of control and possession that unwittingly helped Maja.

The £4.7m signing was easily dominated by Lewis Gibson and Jordan Storey back at Preston, losing two of his ground duels and six of his nine aerials.

Heggebo was not a successful center for the Baggies in central midfield, due to how often he lost his physical battles, and that meant he finished the game with just eight completed passes to his name.

Dike came on as a substitute and scored the Baggies’ second goal, but is still looking to return to full fitness and has not scored as a starter since the win over Luton in May 2025.

West Brom player who could replace Aune Heggebo against Watford

To keep the USA player from the bench, Morrison may let a star who is not even a top striker to remove Heggebo from the list.

Watford lost to a Sheffield United side that played a 4-2-3-1 formation at the weekend, using space down the floor with wide play to get crosses into the box, and Morrison could use that same tactic.

The Baggies played a compact 4-4-2 formation in the game away to Preston, but switching to a 4-2-3-1 against the Hornets could allow them to have more control and use wide areas to get at Watford’s backline.

Therefore, Morrison should drop Heggebo from the squad to replace academy graduate Oliver Bostock on the wing, which will allow Isaac Price to play on the left and Jayson Molumby to slot into the number ten role ahead of Alex Mowatt and Ousmane Diakite.

Bostock scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 defeat by Oxford United in Morrison’s first game in charge, showing he can produce at Championship level, and impressed with one assist in two FA Cup appearances earlier in the year.

The 19-year-old, who can play on the left or right, produced eight goals and four assists in 51 appearances at U18 and U21 level for the Baggies before making his breakthrough to the senior team.

As West Brom look to move away from the relegation zone and start thinking about next season, giving the likes of Bostock a chance to show he can play a bigger role going forward would be a good idea.

The youngster’s ability has shown glimpses, with a goal in the league and an assist in the FA Cup, that he has the potential to be a star for the Baggies first team going forward, as a full-back who can contribute with both goals and assists.

He should be given a chance to shine, which is why Morrison should drop him on the wing as a replacement for Heggebo against Watford to switch to a 4-2-3-1 in the Championship.

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Hopefully, if given the chance, Bostock can play a big part in securing the club’s league safety in the final few games of the season.