West Brom will be without a suspended centre-back when they face Albion at the Hawthorns.

But Baggies boss Sam Allardyce says his side will be “a little bit more desperate” to pick up a win.

Semi Ajayi was shown a straight red by referee Mike Dean in the first half of the 0-0 draw at Burnley.

Dean checked the VAR monitor before dismissing Ajayi for handball as the last defender when it appeared Matej Vydra would be clean through.

But ten-man West Brom were the better team in the second period.

It does not appear they will contest the red card.

Allardyce said: "In the rules, everybody's going to say it's a deliberate handball and it stops a goal-scoring opportunity.

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"I can't say from 50 or 60 metres away, 'he's stopping a goal-scoring opportunity' but everybody will say it's right. We're just living with it now, we're living with the rule changes.

"If that's the way the rules are then fine, we'll have to accept that. But I have to say it didn't affect us and you could say in the second half we actually got better with ten men.”

John O’Shea, who went on as sub after the red card, looks most likely to deputise with Ajayi suspended.

Allardyce believes his side can escape the drop but they need to start winning very soon.

The Seagulls go the Black Country next Saturday.

Allardyce said: "Things are getting better, the defending's getting better, attacking and creating is getting better, but the sad thing is we're sat with two points from the last two games which actually should have been six.

"We've still a bit to go to try to change these performances into victories and another game goes by which means we get a little bit more desperate about trying to get three points in the next game."