Brandon Thomas-Asante wants to ‘send a message’ to West Brom rivals

The Baggies will face three of last year’s top-10 in their first four matches of the new campaign, along with a Leeds team newly relegated from the Premier League.

But rather than view it as cause of concern, Thomas-Asante only sees opportunity.

Last season’s top scorer explained: “There’s tough opposition but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It allows us the opportunity to send a message out in terms of what we want to achieve and where we want to be.

“If we can come out of those games in a positive position it will stand us in good stead for the rest of the campaign. I’m really looking forward to those games already.”

Thomas-Asante, who will be aiming to build on a solid first season in the second tier after joining last summer from Salford, continued: “There’s a few fixtures I always look out for, for two reasons really.

“On one hand you have got teams where I have some mates playing such as Huddersfield, Rotherham and Watford. It’ll be nice getting those games in.

“You’ve also got the ones against teams who we didn’t get positive results against last year and we’ll be wanting revenge.

“We dropped points in games which we shouldn’t have last year and we want to make up for that this this around.”

Albion’s players returned to pre-season training last week and will work at the club’s training ground for the next fortnight before departing for a five-day camp at England’s St George’s Park base. Their first friendly is currently scheduled to be behind-closed-doors against Shrewsbury Town on July 15.