West Bromwich Albion may look to seal Slaven Bilic's return on a short-term basis if Valerien Ismael is sacked, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Baggies went into the campaign looking to bounce back into the Premier League at the first attempt, but a wretched run of form has seen them drop eight points adrift of the Championship's automatic promotion places.

What's the latest news involving Ismael?

Chief executive Xu Ke revealed he had dreams of Ismael remaining at the helm for the next four years following his appointment last summer, but it seems the Frenchman's days at the Hawthorns may already be numbered.

The Baggies' automatic promotion hopes have suffered a major setback thanks to a run of just one win in their last seven Championship outings.

West Brom's poor run of form continued with a 2-0 defeat to Millwall at the weekend and it has been reported that there is now a 'toxic atmosphere' within the fanbase.

Meanwhile, Ismael has fallen out with Sam Johnstone after refusing to reinstate the England goalkeeper to his starting line-up having served a suspension.

Robert Snodgrass has also left the Baggies by mutual consent after rumours emerged of a bust-up with Ismael.

West Brom fans have shown their disapproval of Ismael being in the hot seat by recently chanting the name of former boss Bilic.

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What has Dean Jones said about the situation?

Jones has refused to rule out the possibility of Bilic sealing a return to West Brom as Ismael's successor if a change is made in the dugout.

The journalist believes the Croatian could be seen as the perfect short-term option as Albion continue their promotion push.

When asked whether Bilic could head back to the Hawthorns, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "Maybe. It depends which way the board would look at it because, in this Championship race, it doesn't take a lot to get yourself back into contention.

"The vibe, obviously, hasn't been good around West Brom and sometimes that's all it takes.

"If they were just going to look short-term, appoint someone until the end of the season and then decide to reassess it after that, there's worse people to turn to."

How did Bilic perform during his first spell at West Brom?

Bilic was appointed as West Brom's boss in June 2019 and set the task of returning the club to the top flight.

The 53-year-old succeeded, earning the Baggies a place in the Premier League thanks to an impressive first campaign at the helm.

However, Bilic's reign only lasted 18 months as he was shown the door in December 2020, with Albion sitting 19th in the standings.

Bilic, who is currently out of work after leaving Chinese side Beijing Guoan last month, guided West Brom to 26 victories in 65 matches.