Albion boss Steve Coppell is hoping intensive treatment at Lilleshall will hasten Paul Kitson's recovery from back surgery.

Kitson goes to the National Sports Centre in Staffordshire for a week from Monday.

Coppell decided it would make more sense to send the former West Ham marksman there rather than him making the long journey each day to the training ground at Falmer.

Albion's Croydon-based boss said: "He lives out West Ham way, which I'm sure in terms of miles is an achieveable journey, but you just can't do it these days because of the volume of traffic.

"I have a good journey in the morning, 40 odd minutes, but I wouldn't like to do a lot longer than that.

"I've got to get him fit as soon as possible and the best course of treatment at the moment is to give him a week at Lilleshall.

"Comparatively speaking we are paying him a lot of money and he is absolutely useless to us in the treatment room."

Kitson has made only four appearances since becoming the first signing of Coppell's predecessor Martin Hinshelwood in August.

The former Derby, Newcastle and Leicester forward took a massive pay cut to join the Seagulls after he was released by West Ham, but he has not featured since the home defeat by Gillingham on September 14.

Kitson had an operation earlier this month on disc damage unrelated to a previous back complaint when he was with the Hammers.

Albion are chronically short of top flight experience so Coppell is desperate to have the 31-year-old available for the relegation fight.

Irish striker Graham Barrett's loan spell from Arsenal expires at the end of November, but Coppell is confident the Gunners will allow him to stay for the rest of the season after speaking this week to ex-Albion manager Liam Brady, the head of youth development at Highbury.

Nathan Jones (knee) and John Piercy (ankle) have both been out for over a month and Robbie Pethick is making good progress after breaking a bone in his foot against Stoke on September 17.

Geoff Pitcher, plagued by a heel problem, was in the squad for Wednesday's postponed reserve fixture at Bristol City. Will Packham will be out for another fortnight with ankle ligament damage and Steve Melton is under treatment for a thigh injury.

Follow Saturday's big game at thisisthealbion.co.uk