Richard Beale commends Reyes Cleary as he ponders Albion dilemma

Richard Beale wasn't giving anything away when asked about the West Bromwich Albion players at his disposal this weekend - barring the fact that, save for the long-term absentees, he'd have a pretty much full complement to choose from.

The under 21s boss was bright and bubbly on Friday morning as he took his place in the manager's chair behind the press conference table, a seat he might be filling on a one-off, but perhaps for longer. Much will depend on the speed of Albion's ongoing managerial search.

Beale was sure to compliment the outgoing Steve Bruce and explained how, after being called in on Monday morning and instructed to take charge of first-team affairs for the foreseeable future, he had implemented one or two 'fresh ideas' into Albion's training sessions.

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It's to be expected that many supporters who understandably associate Beale with the club's academy system are hopeful of the idea that a change in management and the installation of Beale as interim boss might prompt a fresh injection of young talent into the match-day squad.

Reyes Cleary, for example, has ten goals for the under 21s already this term. Zac Ashworth has been on the fringes of the first-team for some time, and midfielder Jamie Andrews is excelling at the moment.

With the club's lowly position being what it is, it's usual for supporters to call for fresh faces who, while the talent isn't in question, do lack obvious Championship experience. Cleary, Ashworth and Ethan Ingram are all players who have been subjected to EFL Cup minutes this season.

So, naturally, that was on the agenda on Friday morning at the training ground. Might any academy prospects have an opportunity to press a claim this weekend at Reading by making up a part of the travelling squad?

As mentioned, Beale wasn't giving much away but, when quizzed specifically about the striker, he sung the praises of Cleary, who he feels has gone to another level this season in terms of his all-round game.

"He's been knocking on the door all season, done really well all season," Beale said. "He's played a couple of League Cup games and is obviously in a rich vein of form at the moment, you'll find out tomorrow if he's involved.

"He's a really good player alongside a number of others and has a really big future if he keeps his feet on the floor. Reyes is very quick, he's an excellent finisher. He always worked reasonably hard but this season but he's improved his work-rate which is fantastic, because without that you're nothing.

"He's humble. He's physically in good shape, which helps that pace and helps him to get away from defenders. If he's involved tomorrow, then he'll have no fear. He can go into it with a clear mind.

"He's a typical forward player, he's fully focused on scoring goals but he brings more to the game as well. He'll be an exciting addition if he's involved tomorrow and if he plays I'll be excited to see how he does."

The selection dilemmas don't stop with the whether or not to include young players. There's a clean slate as far as Beale is concerned, and those who might've otherwise found themselves out in the cold are back in contention - provided that they can prove their worth in training.

Darnell Furlong, for example, has been left out of the 18 for selection purposes in each of the last two games but could return this weekend. Much, too, will depend on the set-up; in what proved to be a last roll of the dice, Bruce opted for a back three last weekend against Luton.

Beale favours that system too for the 21s, but with an entirely different group of players to work with this week, he'll decide on what's best based on his judgement and how he's assessed the group on the training pitch.

It could be, then, that Albion revert to a back four.

Predicted XI: Palmer; Furlong, O'Shea, Townsend, Pieters; Livermore, Molumby, Swift, Wallace, Diangana; Thomas-Asante