Solly March is unlucky not to have played more games for Albion this season.

That is the message from manager Chris Hughton as the winger returns to the starting line-up for tonight’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

March will deputise on the right for Anthony Knockaert, who begins a three-match suspension for his red card at Everton.

He has made 16 Premier League starts and 31 appearances in total, but has lost out at times to Knockaert and Jose Izquierdo in a three-way battle for the wide spots.

Hughton told The Argus: “I’ve been delighted with Solly and in some phases of the season he’s been unfortunate.

“I thought he was good at the start of the season, scored the goal at Bournemouth, but right at this moment if I took (Jiri) Skalak out of the equation we’ve got very good competition with three wide players.

“We have see Jose’s form improve, but Solly has probably been a bit unfortunate. I have been really delighted with his progress.”

Hughton admits Knockaert’s reckless tackle on Everton’s Leighton Baines has the potential to leave Albion in a hole on the flanks for the crucial home games against Leicester and Huddersfield after the international break, especially as Jamie Murphy went to Glasgow Rangers in January.

“When a player gets sent-off and is going to miss three games, there are consequences,” Hughton said.

“The consequences are that individual is going to miss out, the team is going to miss that player and it gives us a player less.

“That’s one we have to work around. We allowed Jamie to go, but Jiri Skalak has trained really well so going forward that’s another option for us.

“At the moment we are okay, but missing one can leave us light in that position.”

March was in the side unlucky to lose 1-0 to United at Old Trafford in the League in November.

Hughton said: “If I was a player I would want to reflect on that game and how well we did in that game.

“But also the only reason we did well in that game was we had to work very hard and use any spaces that we had.”