Albion boss Sami Hyypia has urged his team to play ball at Leeds United tonight – but still keep their defensive discipline.

Consecutive 1-0 defeats at home to Sheffield Wednesday and at Birmingham on Saturday have left the Seagulls among four teams in the Championship suffering a pointless start to the season.

Hyypia has been generally satisfied with his new-look defence but is looking for a big improvement in possession at Elland Road compared with Birmingham as Albion try to get their league campaign up and running.

He told The Argus: “I want to win and I’m not happy where we are at the moment. It’s another chance. We need to bring the physical things on the pitch, to battle and run. If we do that every game I’m happy.

“Sometimes you can have days when the football is not so good. I hope we bring the battling on the pitch and then play on the ball a little bit better “We defended okay (at Birmingham), we were fighting with them. Maybe that is the one thing we can take out of the game. It’s very important that we keep that going, then on the ball play better.”

Midfield newcomers Danny Holla and Joao Teixeira are expected to feature in the squad in Yorkshire and one or both could start. Holla, who has been with his new team-mates at their St George’s Park base since watching the Birmingham defeat, has not played since his farewell appearance for Den Haag at the beginning of May.

Portuguese prospect Teixeira, on loan from Liverpool for the season, is in contention for his full debut in English football after showing promise as a second-half substitute at St Andrew’s.

Holla said: “At my old club I trained for a couple of weeks, so I’m fit. I didn’t play many games but I trained a lot.

“I hope to be involved at Leeds. It’s up to the manager but I’m ready.”

Frenchman Souleymane Doukara is a doubt for Leeds after an ankle injury forced him off in Saturday’s last-gasp 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough.

Italian defender Guiseppe Bellusci, signed on loan from Catania, could be involved providing Leeds secure international clearance.

Veteran keeper Paddy Kenny has left the Yorkshiremen by mutual consent after reaching a compromise agreement on the year remaining on his contract.