TWO of West Brom's stand-out players from last season are set to miss Friday night's Championship opener at Cherries.

The Baggies are facing up to life back in the second tier, following their relegation from the Premier League.

They are under new management for this term, after Valerien Ismael left his post at Barnsley to take over at The Hawthorns.

And the Frenchman has confirmed Matheus Pereira, who scored 11 top-flight goals last season, will not feature at Vitality Stadium.

Ismael said: “I have spoken with Matheus for a few weeks. He was clear he wants to leave. He is not committed to the Championship and not committed to us.

“I accept this decision but I have to take my decision and now we need to solve the situation.

"I am just focused on the guys who are ready to play for West Brom, ready to embrace the fight in the Championship.

“We need to have players who are motivated to work for each other. I don’t need the best player or the most expensive player. I need the right player with the right mentality.”

Another man who is set to be missing for the Baggies is goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The 28-year-old was part of the England squad for this summer's European Championship.

But instead, former Cherries loanee David Button is expected to start in goal on Friday evening with Johnstone's future unclear.

“He needs some time to clear his situation,” said Ismael when asked about Johnstone.

“We will have some talk in the next few days but at the minute it is important to focus on the players who are available.”