Adam El-Abd insisted today he has no fears about facing Crystal Palace's powerful strike force.

Albion's fiercest enemies are without the injured Andy Johnson again for tomorrow's showdown at Withdean.

They still have an international strike pairing in Clinton Morrison and Dougie Freedman, with Jon Macken in reserve.

Albion boss Mark McGhee, back in the Republic of Ireland last night in search of an answer to his team's goalscoring problems, would love to have that type of firepower.

But it doesn't impress El-Abd, who makes his first Championship start of the season for the Seagulls in the centre of defence in place of the suspended Paul McShane.

"That doesn't bother me at all," said El-Abd. "They are just names.

"Obviously you have got to respect them but when you are on the field you are an equal and you've got to have no fear.

"It's just like any other opponent. So, they have got the names Morrison and Freedman on the back of their shirts? It doesn't mean anything to me. I'm just looking forward to it."

El-Abd, at 21, is too young to have experienced much of the Albion-Palace rivalry, given the length of time the clubs were in different divisions.

He came off the bench for the dying stages of last month's 1-0 triumph at Selhurst Park and now he is relishing a full-on taste of the derby action.

"It will be a dream come true," he said. "I've grown up in Brighton and have lots of friends who are fans.

"Everyone knows about the rivalry between Brighton and Palace, so it will mean everything."

It could be a pivotal match in El-Abd's Albion career. He helped them to survival in the last five games last season but his only start since then was a below-par display in the Carling Cup exit at Shrewsbury in August and he is out of contract in the summer.

"I'm not going to lie, it's been very tough," El-Abd admitted.

"Having a good end of last season and pre-season and then not to start the season in the side was devastating but that is part and parcel of being a professional footballer.

"I played against Shrewsbury and that was my first game in five weeks. I lacked match sharpness and didn't do myself justice in that game.

"It was frustrating. When I went to see the manager afterwards he said I couldn't use that as an excuse.

"I've had to be patient and wait for another chance. It's taken until now to get that chance.

"That Shrewsbury game is a bad memory. Hopefully I will make amends for that.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on myself but I know time is running out and I need to start making an impact, otherwise I'm going to be out on my ear. It's a tough situation to be in but that's the reality.

"If you don't perform you are not going to earn new deals and stay in the game.

"It's how you manage the times when you are low and how you come back from it. I've just kept training hard and keeping myself right. Hopefully I will take my chance."

McGhee's second trip across the Irish Sea in the space of a week last night had a dual purpose.

He is also concerned about a lack of cover for McShane and Guy Butters at the heart of the back four.

"All I can do is go out on Sunday and do my best," said El-Abd, who was ruled out of Albion's last match at Stoke by a groin infection.

"Hopefully that will be good enough to make his mind up that he doesn't have to sign someone else."

McGhee said: "I hope we won't miss Paul at all, because Adam will come in and do the job. I think he's ready, because he's dying for the opportunity.

"Adam had a nightmare at Shrewsbury. That is the biggest challenge that he has got to overcome.

"We gave him a chance there and he played badly. He knows that and accepted it and he's determined to put that right.

"He's been waiting for the opportunity, which he is now going to get, to put the disappointment of how he played at Shrewsbury behind him."