ROBERTO Di Matteo has revealed his squad will remain together between tonight's Blackpool clash (ko 7.45pm) and Saturday's trip to Plymouth (ko 3pm).

The Baggies will base themselves in Lancashire following the Bloomfield Road encounter before flying directly to Devon on Friday in preparation for their visit to Home Park.

Albion will be looking to extend their eight-game unbeaten run on their Coca-Cola Championship travels.

But the Albion chief knows his men are in for a difficult night against Ian Holloway's seventh-placed side, who have only lost twice in 13 league matches on home soil this term.

"The next game after Blackpool is two-and-a-half days later so it would be a lot of travelling for us to go to Blackpool, come home and then go to Plymouth," said Di Matteo.

"We want to give ourselves the best possibility of preparing for the next game after that so we will stay there and go direct to Plymouth."

He added: "Blackpool are a revelation this year.

"I don't think many expected them to be challenging near the top six.

"I have watched them a few times and they play some good football as well.

"We know the majority of their team.

"Yes they have three new players and we don't know if they are going to start, and where they are going to come in, but we know everything about the rest.

"It will be a typical Championship midweek game I guess.

"But conditions will be the same for both teams."

Victory for the Baggies would lift them back above Nottingham Forest into the second automatic promotion place.

"It's a big game for us," Di Matteo added.

"If we win we get back into second - but it won't be easy.

"We know conditions won't be easy and they are very good at home.

"They have a decent home record so it's going to be a hard game."