ALBION are sweating on an injury to Liam Rosenior compounding their defensive shortage ahead of the biggest away league game of the season.

The right-back suffered ankle damage in a bad challenge by Yann Kermorgant at the end of the 2-2 stalemate with Reading.

The Seagulls had already used all three substitutes and played out the closing moments with ten men as Rosenior had to be helped off.

Hughton is expected to repeat the policy of wholesale changes for tomorrow night’s second round League Cup tie at Oxford United.

That will give Rosenior more time to recover for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United (5.30).

Bruno has already shifted from right-back to emergency centre-half, with Connor Goldson (knee) and Uwe Huenemeier (groin) sidelined, so Hughton can ill-afford to lose Rosenior’s experience as well for the test in the North-East.

The manager branded Kermorgant’s tackle on Rosenior as “reckless” but did not think the former Charlton striker deserved to join team-mate Joey Van Den Berge in seeing red.

"Probably no," Hughton said. "He slid in. There's no doubt it was reckless and if he had caught him stud on bone it would have been."

Dutch central defender Van Den Berge, booked in the first half for dissent, received a second yellow late-on from Premier League ref Mike Jones for a foul on Albion substitute Tomer Hemed.

Albion remain second in the Championship after Norwich drew 1-1 at Ipswich yesterday.