ALBION boss Chris Hughton has turned to youth to solve a central midfield crisis.

Dessie Hutchinson has been promoted from the under-23s to the first team squad alongside fellow Republic of Ireland prospect Jayson Molumby in the last 32 of the Carabao Cup at Bournemouth tonight.

Molumby, 18, made an impressive debut in the previous round against Barnet at the Amex.

Hutchinson, 20, has now been handed a chance as well due to injuries and Hughton’s desire to protect the partnership of Dale Stephens and Davy Propper for Sunday’s Premier League visit by his old club Newcastle.

Hughton told The Argus: “Molumby is fit. We’ve got a couple in the squad, Molumby and Dessie Hutchinson.

“We don’t have the natural options. Probably the more natural one from the first team squad would be Pascal Gross, who has played in that position on numerous occasions.

“Apart from that, with Sidwell and Kayal out, we don’t have the natural central midfield players in what we regard as the first team squad at the moment.”

Hughton will also be loathed to gamble with the fitness of number ten Gross, who went off in the closing stages of Friday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.

He said: “Pascal is a bit sore. He got a kick, but he’s okay.”

A further headache for Hughton, in defence, has been eased by the return to fitness of Gaetan Bong.

Markus Suttner’s left-back understudy has recovered from a muscle strain sustained in the 1-0 win over Barnet last month.

Hughton regards the opportunity to be in tomorrow night’s last 16 draw as a help rather than hindrance to the major goal of Premier League survival.

“Whatever the changes that any manager makes going into these cup games, you always want to make progress and win,” he said. “There’s always an excitement before the draw is made for the next round.

“I see it as a plus more than a negative. If you’re able to stay in the competition, use your squad and get to the latter part of competitions, where it gets really exciting, then that’s what we want.

“There’s certainly no dampening of the excitement of getting through to the next round, and I think that will always be the case.”