Carrying an injury-ravaged squad, Jones looked all set to turn to his youngsters for Saturday's FA Cup tie at Chelsea until striker Jay Bothroyd had an injection in his ankle and Gavin Rae voiced his intention to start despite a hamstring injury.
Combined with Darcy Blake's recovery from a back problem, Jones was able to send out a side that ran the FA Cup holders close before eventually going down 4-1.
But it remains to be seen whether Bothroyd and Rae will be able to handle two games in the space of four days.
To add to Jones' woes, Stephen McPhail's season has been curtailed once again with the discovery he in fact cracked two ribs in last Tuesday's 2-0 win over Peterborough, ruling him out for around three to four weeks.
Defenders Mark Hudson (ankle) and Miguel Comminges (thigh), midfielder Joe Ledley (hips) and forwards Josh Magennis (broken fibula) and Kelvin Etuhu (ankle) already remain sidelined. But defender Tony Capaldi returns having been cup-tied at Stamford Bridge.
West Brom have been dealt a blow ahead of the tough trip after discovering Gonzalo Jara is likely to miss the rest of the season.
X-rays have revealed the Chile defender, who has also played in midfield this season, fractured a metatarsal in his right foot during Saturday's FA Cup draw at Reading and is now expected to be sidelined for the remaining months of the campaign.
Head coach Roberto Di Matteo told the club's official website: "I don't think he will play again this season, which is a massive blow for us. He should recover in time for the World Cup but, unfortunately for both him and Chile, he won't be playing any football in the next two-and-a-half months."
Fellow defender Abdoulaye Meite (ankle) has also been ruled out of the trip to south Wales while winger Andy Slory is struggling with the Achilles injury he sustained during the warm-up at the weekend but he could yet make it.
The news provides unwelcome problems for Di Matteo who is already without Youssouf Mulumbu and Jerome Thomas (both suspension), Marek Cech (hamstring), Ishmael Miller (ankle) and long-term absentees James Morrison (heel) and Giles Barnes (Achilles).
However, one bright note will be the return of on-loan forward Frank Nouble after he was ineligible to face Reading.
Sporting Life
