Chris Hughton says he has no worries over the state of the pitch at the Amex - despite a rugby double-bill.

Albion return home against Cardiff City today for the first time since the Rugby World Cup came to Brighton.

Groundsman Steve Winterburn and his team have been restoring the pitch after Japan’s shock victory over South Africa and Samoa’s win against the USA less than 24 hours later.

Hughton said: “There will be some effect on the pitch, we know that, but the game is different and the pitches are different.

“Certainly if this was a few years ago, with the type of pitches we had then, it would have been a far bigger concern.

“We’ve seen and we’ve played on lots of pitches over the last few years that play rugby on there and there is an effect, there’s no doubt.

“But it’s nowhere as dramatic as you think it might be.”