Who should be the first two names on Chris Hughton's teamsheet for Albion?

Penalty saver supreme David Stockdale and French magician Anthony Knockaert?

What about the formidable defensive pairing of Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy?

Or leading marksman Glenn Murray and regular recent goalscorer Tomer Hemed?

As supporters digest a modest increase of between two and five per cent in season ticket prices and a critical rush of fixtures at the Amex, the two players most important to Albion's hopes of a return to winning ways against Burton Albion on Saturday have yet to be mentioned.

The names fans should be wanting to hear when the teams are announced are Sam Baldock and Dale Stephens.

Both of them have been absent recently with calf injuries, striker Baldock from the last five matches, midfielder Stephens the last three.

There is compelling evidence that Albion do much better with the pair of them in the team than without them.

Baldock (below centre), still stuck on 99 career goals, has not been involved in a Championship defeat for the Seagulls at the Amex for two years and 22 days.

The Argus: His astonishing record stretches all the way back to Chris Hughton's first home league defeat in charge, a 1-0 reverse against Brentford in January 2015.

Albion have lost eight home league games over this period. Baldock, for one reason or another, sat out all of them.

He has played a part in 28 matches at the Amex in the Championship since that initial setback for Hughton. Albion have won 21 of them and drawn the other seven.

The contrast in Albion's results this season with and without Stephens in the engine room, both home and away, demonstrate his influence on the team's fortunes as well.

He has started 17 games in the Championship. Albion have won 14 of them and drawn the other three.

The record deteriorates markedly when Stephens is not in the first X1. Albion, in these circumstances, have won four, drawn five and lost three.

The average points per game plummets from 2.65 to 1.4 with Stephens a substitute or spectator.

Even when he is a bit-part player, Albion's prospects of a positive result improve.

 

They have won three, drawn one and lost one when he has been introduced from the bench, including his decisive strike at Wigan in October.

The figures for Baldock and Stephens cannot be dismissed as simply statistical anomalies - there is more to it than that.

Baldock is different to Albion's other orthodox strikers. His nippy mobility, movement and willingness to run the channels stretches defences.

Stephens, when he is on song, is capable of dictating the play.

He is good on the ball, has good energy levels, likes a challenge, can sit deep or get forward to contribute goals. His all-round abilities are ideal when you are relying, as Hughton's system does, on two rather than three central midfielders.

The Argus: The returns of Baldock and Stephens (above) cannot come soon enough as Albion enter a crucial phase in their automatic promotion challenge.

Four of the next five games are at home in the rest of February. The sequence continues after Burton with the visit of Ipswich next Tuesday and, following a trip to Barnsley, concludes with a couple of six-pointers in the space of four days against promotion rivals Reading and Newcastle.

The chances of a healthy haul of points to consolidate a still-commanding position will soar with Baldock and Stephens back in contention.

Supporters will be paying more to watch Albion in the Premier League or Championship at the Amex next season - but not a lot more.

The club yesterday announced price rises of between two and five per cent, irrespective of the division.

There will be no extra increase if the Seagulls are promoted, although the price per match will automatically be greater because of four fewer fixtures.

The majority of fans will regard it as a small price to play if Baldock, Stephens and their team-mates are tackling the likes of Costa and Ibrahimovic.