Albion newcomer Wayne Gray insists he is not daunted by deputising for injured top scorer Bobby Zamora.

The young striker signed from Wimbledon as cover for the injured hotshot is confident he can fill Zamora's goalscoring role and help the Seagulls to promotion.

Gray makes his debut tomorrow at mid-table Colchester following his loan move for the rest of the season.

A dislocated left shoulder has ruled Zamora out of the next three matches and with bans also looming for Daniel Webb and Lee Steele, the 21-year-old could be a key figure in the run-in.

"I know what I can do," Gray said. "I scored six goals in 15 starts on loan to Leyton Orient and I really enjoyed being involved in the first team.

"Brighton have given me an opportunity as well and hopefully I can grasp it with both hands. If I get enough chances and we play well as a team I have a lot of confidence in myself that I will score goals.

"Bobby's been terrific and he's had a great season for Brighton. Now I would like to score and help them get into Division One."

Gray ran the 100 metres in 10.88 seconds, was a two-metre high jumper and the best young pentathlete in Great Britain before choosing football over athletics.

Boss Peter Taylor said: "He is a very different player to Bobby, like a second centre forward that feeds off a big man.

"He is very quick, very direct and powerful. The reason I went for Wayne is I don't think we have got anyone like him at the club.

"He's also a sensible finisher who seems to hit the target. Hopefully we will get him through on a few things and he'll score."

Albion have lost only one of their last ten overall but won just one of their last nine away and Taylor is not reading too much into the fact that Colchester cannot go up or down.

"My last game at Gillingham in the League was Wrexham away. They weren't going anywhere and played like worldbeaters. We needed to win to get the second automatic spot but we lost 1-0.

"If you look at all the games we have got left we could win them, but we know they are very difficult."

Brentford and Stoke, the two teams immediately behind Albion, clash in a promotion six-pointer at Griffin Park.

Leaders Reading are at Monday's Withdean visitors Bristol City, Huddersfield go to next-to-bottom Wrexham and Cardiff to Chesterfield.