"He was like Cafu!" - West Brom star hailed "unbelievable" as Alfie Gilchrist faces new hurdle | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion have started the 2025/26 campaign brilliantly

West Bromwich Albion have started the 2025/26 campaign in sensational style and currently sit second in the Championship.

The Baggies are one of four sides yet to taste defeat at the first international break, winning three and drawing one of the league games they’ve competed in so far.

Ryan Mason’s side have been clinical throughout the early stages of this season, edging out their opponents by a single goal in all three of their victories.

Although Albion’s boss is currently enjoying his maiden role as a first-team manager, he has been a wise head in the Hawthorns’ home dugout, perfectly orchestrating 90 minutes to see his side come out on top.

West Brom made some key additions during the summer window, including the likes of Nat Phillips, Aune Heggebø and Krystian Bielik.

Further defensive recruits came in the form of George Campbell and Alfie Gilchrist, with many considering the Baggies’ capture of the latter to be a real coup.

Gilchrist came through the youth ranks with Premier League outfit Chelsea, before making 17 appearances for their first team during the 2023/24 campaign.

The full-back spent last season on loan with Sheffield United but joined Albion on a permanent deal this summer.

It was expected that Gilchrist would slot straight into the right-back position at the Hawthorns, but that may no longer be such a simple task.

George Campbell predicted to keep Alfie Gilchrist out of the West Bromwich Albion team

The aforementioned Campbell arrived in the Black Country this summer with a view to operating out of central defence, which is precisely what he did for two of his first three league starts.

However, Ipswich Town’s move for Darnell Furlong meant that Mason had a vacancy in the right-back department and decided to deploy Campbell there for Albion’s victory at high-flying Stoke City.

Speaking on the What The EFL podcast, ex-EFL forward Sam Parkin was full of praise for the Baggies’ new recruit and believes he could strike a real blow to Gilchrist’s chances of getting in Mason’s starting 11.

“I was tipped off by a mate before the Stoke City victory who thought he (Campbell) surely couldn’t play at right-back,” stated Parkin.

“But in the absence of an obvious one (right-back), he was like Cafu! He was unbelievable.

“I was told that he couldn’t move; he was a centre-half, a very good one at that.

“But he was excellent up against Sorba Thomas. Maybe, there is now no hurry to get Alfie Gilchrist into the side.”

Alfie Gilchrist will face an uphill challenge to dislodge George Campbell

Given Gilchrist’s impressive footballing education and previous experience in the Championship, it’s likely to believe he was recruited under the premise of becoming Albion’s starting right-back.

However, Campbell has proven to be an extremely capable operator during the first stages of the 2025/26 Championship campaign. Most importantly, he has been part of a defence that are getting points on the board.

Mason will know that when you find a winning formula, you must stick with it as long as results keep coming. This means that Gilchrist may have to settle for the bench in the upcoming weeks.

Naturally, due to the hectic schedule of the Championship, the 21-year-old will get chances to impress. But for now, he faces an extremely tough task in ousting Campbell.