West Brom defender Kieran Gibbs is facing a big battle to convince manager Slaven Bilic that he deserves another crack at the top level of English club football after the former Arsenal man misused the first chance. England international Gibbs was part of the West Brom squad that secured promotion into the Premier League at the end of the English Championship last season. The Baggies sealed automatic promotion ahead of Brentford after finishing second behind champions Leeds United at the end of the season. Kieran Gibbs played 14 times in the league enroute the promotion to the English topflight, scoring once plus two assists.
Kieran Gibbs is one of the most experienced figures in the West Brom squad this season at the age of 31 and that would certainly play a part in his selection on the part of Slaven Bilic for the opening game of the season. Kieran Gibbs started the Premier League opener at home to Leicester City in what was the first game for the Baggies on their return to the Premier League. Jamie Vardy scored two penalties to lead Leicester City to a 3-0 win.
Kieran Gibbs retained his place as the left-sided defender for the second league game of the season, a trip to take on Everton at Goodison Park. The West Brom player would go on to let his teammates and manager down after he collected a needless red card for the headbutt on Everton attacker James Rodriguez in the first half of the game which ended in a 5-2 thrashing for the Baggies.
Young left back Conor Townsend replaced Kieran Gibbs in the starting XI for the subsequent games until the Sheffield United game at the end of last month when he picked up a knee injury. Conor Townsend impressed while Kieran Gibbs served his three-match ban and he was unable to break into the team as a result. With Conor Townsend now injured, Slaven Bilic has turned to attacker Matt Philips ahead of Kieran Gibbs for the left-back/left wing back slot and that has led to the question on Gibbs and whether the 10-cap England international has been frozen out of the West Brom starting XI completely.