Dale Stephens and Beram Kayal are on course to be reunited in central midfield for Albion.

The Seagulls face back-to-back home games in quick succession, plus six more Championship matches in a hectic Ferbruary.

The busy programme is likely to prompt a renewal of the successful partnership between Stephens and Kayal. The pair were influential stalwarts of Albion’s promotion near-miss last season.

The summer signings of Steve Sidwell and Oliver Norwood have increased boss Chris Hughton’s options in the engine room.

Hughton’s rotation policy to cope with the gruelling league campaign, combined with injuries at different stages for Stephens and Kayal, means last season’s mainstays have only had minimum game time together so far this term. They have simultaneously started three games, all of them wins, against Huddersfield, Burton and Barnsley in September.

Kayal suffered an ankle fracture against Barnsley, which sidelined the Israeli until the FA Cup win against MK Dons earlier this month. He was not scheduled to be involved in Saturday’s first league defeat in 19 matches at Preston until Stephens was ruled out by illness.

Kayal came off the bench in the closing stages and had an immediate impact.

Stephens, Gaetan Bong (knee) and suspension-free Lewis Dunk are all expected to return to the starting line-up for Sheffield Wednesday’s trip to the Amex on Friday evening.

Cardiff visit four nights later as Albion attempt to get their automatic promotion bid back on track ahead of six league fixtures in the space of 24 days next month.