Alex Pritchard may be about to find himself closer to Albion supporters in the main stand at the Amex than he would wish for.

The player who turned on his heels and snubbed the Seagulls for Norwich during the summer transfer window is more likely to be starting on the bench than on the pitch in Saturday's top four clash.

Pritchard, hampered by an injury, has made an underwhelming start to his career at Carrow Road.

This is unlikely to endure, since there is not much doubt about his quality.

Albion certainly recognised it. They were prepared to fork out a club record fee of around £6 million for the 23-year-old former Tottenham playmaker.

Then Norwich stepped in and hijacked the move at the eleventh hour, for a bigger price and more lucrative contract.

Chris Hughton (below) wanted him to pull the attacking strings for the Seagulls in the No.10 role.

The Argus: The question mark against Pritchard is not his ability but the path he has chosen for himself away from White Hart Lane.

Quoted after the move, he said: "I couldn't wait to get out of there. They just never gave me a chance."

Pritchard's frustration in North London was understandable. Brought through the ranks, he made only two appearances in five years.

He became a young loan ranger, farmed out to Peterborough, Swindon, West Brom and Brentford, where he caught the eye with 12 goals and seven assists which helped the Bees to the Championship play-offs.

He wanted to be settled and to progress by playing regularly. So why abandon the switch to Sussex and head for Norfolk instead?

Albion have strength in depth. A place for Pritchard was by no means guaranteed but competition for the position Hughton had in mind for him is limited.

There is no obvious alternative. Hughton has tried Anthony Knockaert and Jamie Murphy as a No.10, without much success.

Sam Baldock tends to drop a bit deeper, especially away from home, but he is still a essentially a striker, a different type of player to Pritchard.

Contrast this with the difficulty Pritchard faces forcing his way into Alex Neil's plans at Norwich, yet alone commanding a regular spot.

Another youngster, Jacob Murphy, started in last Saturday's home defeat by Preston. Pritchard, when he got on in place of Robbie Brady early in the second half, made an impact.

He went close to scoring with a header cleared off the line and a free-kick tipped over.

Neil has, however, so far demonstrated no inclination to respond to a growing clamour for Pritchard to start regularly.

Neil remarked after the Preston defeat: "Jacob has done wonderfully well, but he is a young man and we are demanding a lot of him and naturally a young player will experience a lull before they come again.

"He'll be fine. It is credit to how he started that we are not talking about the loss of Nathan (Redmond to Southampton)) but the impact of Jacob.

"I have been delighted with him but I would like to have given him and us an opportunity to drop out a little bit and depend on someone else.

"Jacob had to play again because that right-hand side is a bit light when Jonny (Howson) is not there. Matt Jarvis is not fit yet as well and then we have Josh Murphy and Alex, who is still relatively young, so it doesn't help."

The fleeting reference to Pritchard has been reflected by his restricted opportunities. His only start in the Championship came in the home game before Preston, a win against Rotherham in which he was substituted late-on.

Neil's league trust in Pritchard away from Carrow Road has been confined to ten minutes from the bench at Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the season.

Shane Duffy and the rest of Albion's miserly rearguard will have more to fear from the Republic of Ireland central defender's gifted international team-mate Wes Hoolahan.

He was among the goalscorers when Duffy was on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat with Rovers at Ewood Park back in August.

A prolific away win is improbable on Saturday with Duffy and his cohorts in such commanding mood.

Albion have kept six clean sheets in a sequence of six victories and two draws since losing at home to Brentford in early September.

Dale Stephens, matchwinning substitute at Wigan at the weekend, said: "That's what we as a team pride ourselves on, if we get that right we've always got a chance of nicking wins.

"We've got good players but it is something we've focused on a lot. With the talent we've got going forward it gives us a chance."

Talent that should have included Alex Pritchard but without whom Albion are doing very nicely.