Albion boss Chris Hughton has no qualms about Aaron Hughes solving the centre-half shortage at home to second-placed Ipswich tomorrow night.

The 35-year-old Northern Ireland international is poised for his first start in over six weeks alongside skipper Gordon Greer, with Lewis Dunk suspended and Greg Halford injured.

Hughton told The Argus: “I haven’t been here long, but he (Hughes) would be the one that I know best. He’s the one that I’ve seen most of.

“There probably isn’t anything I could say about him in the short period of time that I’ve been here that every manager he’s worked under wouldn’t say, because it’s glaringly obvious that he’s a fantastic professional. He gets on with the job and is very experienced in the job.”

Hughes was used primarily as back-up by ex-boss Sami Hyypia, but Hughton said: “I don’t think I see it that way and I don’t think he would want to see it that way. I think he would see it as fighting for a position, because he certainly trains that way every day.”

The loss of height and aerial prowess without six-goal Dunk and long throw exponent Halford is, nevertheless, a double set piece blow for Albion against an Ipswich side spearheaded by the powerful presence of 17-goal centre-forward Daryl Murphy.

Hughton said: “We’re conscious of what Dunky has given us on set plays so at the moment a fit Lewis generally plays, because he has got to a standard of performance that’s improving all the time.

“He’s a big loss because he is someone who has been playing consistently but these things happen and you have to adapt, and fortunately for us we’ve got someone like Aaron Hughes who can fill those shoes.”

Halford (calf) and striker Craig Mackail-Smith (ankle) are only expected to be short-term absentees and Jake Forster-Caskey is likely to recover from a slight hip injury in time to figure against Ipswich.