What a difference an international break makes.

A makeshift back four picked itself for Chris Hughton when Albion were last in action 13 nights ago at Leeds.

Now the injury list has eased dramatically, so much so that Hughton suddenly has enough full-backs to fill an entire defence.

That is just as well, such is the fixture-bunched nature of the promotion run-in.

The visit of Blackburn Rovers to the Amex tomorrow launches a burst of three matches in six days, with a visit from Birmingham and a trip to QPR to follow.

After a clear week comes another surge over Easter of three games in a week away to Wolves and Norwich either side of the arrival of Wigan.

Six of the eight assignments that will determine Albion's automatic promotion fate in the Championship are squeezed into less than three weeks.

Just as well then that Hughton has skipper Bruno (below), Seb Pocognoli and Gaetan Bong to call upon, together with emergency signing Vegard Forren, in the department of the team hit so severely.

The Argus: Hughton is still without two central defenders, Shane Duffy for another few weeks, Connor Goldson for the rest of the season.

Young left-back Sam Adekugbe is sidelined too by hamstring trouble, although his absence has been turned into an insignificant footnote by the clearing casualty list and the returns to contention in particular of Bong and Pocognoli.

A knee injury has ruled out first choice left-back Bong since the win at Fulham at the beginning of the year.

Pocognoli, Bong's deputy, has missed the last four-and-threequarter matches with a groin problem which forced him off in the early stages of last month's home defeat by leaders Newcastle.

Now both will compete with Liam Rosenior, back himself at the start of the month from a long absence with a broken ankle and ligament damage.

Rosenior's dexterity means he is also an option at right-back, where Bruno was missing against Leeds with a slight groin issue.

England under-20's defender Fikayo Tomori, on loan from Chelsea, filled in at Elland Road.

He can also operate in the middle, where Norwegian international Forren also offers cover for Lewis Dunk and Uwe Huenemeier now that he is up to speed fitness wise.

All in all, Hughton finds himself in a much healthier position to make decisions about the team than he was in Yorkshire just under a fortnight ago, a defeat which was followed by a training trip to Valencia in Spain.

He told The Argus: "We had four very good training days there. For Seb and Gaetan I hope we've used it well.

"At this stage of the season you want to have as many players available as possible. It means if you are picking up injuries your numbers are still good.

"That's a situation I would always rather be in, where I have got decisions to make.

"Three games in six days is a tough ask, so the squad will certainly be invaluable for us.

"We play Saturday, Tuesday, Friday. The turnaround is quick and we do that in the next group of games as well, Friday, Monday, Friday.

"You can plan all you want for the second, third and fourth games, but the most important one right at this moment is the first one on Saturday against Blackburn."

Although divided by 20 places and 37 points, third-bottom Blackburn have been in better form than Albion over the last seven games.

They are unbeaten in that period, a dramatic improvement coinciding with Tony Mowbray replacing Owen Coyle as manager.

A lot of them have been draws, but they have collected only one point fewer than the Seagulls from the last 21 available.

Hughton said: "We've got used to teams coming to the Amex in good form. Their form has certainly been very good and their performance levels in the games we've watched on video have been very good.

"The change is a new manager coming in and getting a reaction. Even under Owen they were a side always in games. It will be a tough game."

The Argus: Getting over the promotion line will be tough too, even with the further benefits of Beram Kayal (above centre) and Tomer Hemed's availability higher up the pitch.

Kayal has recovered from tonsillitis, which ruled him out of Israel's defeat in Spain, fellow countryman Hemed is none the worse mentally for his two-game international ban arising from his outspoken disappointment at being excluded from the starting line-up.

"I think it's going to require good form," Hughton said. "We can't afford to think teams below us will drop points and lose games. We've got to expect those that are pushing hard are going to do well.

"What the numbers are going to be I don't know but, from those eight games, I think we'll certainly have to win a high percentage of them."