ALBION fear they could be without injured left back Gary Borrowdale for three weeks.

The on-loan defender is back at parent club QPR after going off in Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat by Southend with a twisted knee.

Borrowdale looks like missing two or three weeks and definitely sits out the key visit of Yeovil to Withdean on Saturday.

However Tommy Elphick gave Albion a defensive boost by coming through a reserve game last night as he recovers from an ankle injury.

Glenn Murray played the first 45 minutes, as planned, as he comes back from hernia surgery and scored the opening goal as a stong Seagulls line-up beat Southampton 5-0.

Albion boss Russell Slade, desperate for a win over his previous club on Saturday to kick start Albion’s survival bid, admits he has decisions to make as he aims to replace Borrowdale, the man brought in for the rest of the campaign when Jim McNulty suffered a season-ending kidney injury.

Slade, who watched the reserves, said: “We will have a look at the personnel in that area.

“Dave Livermore has played there and we’ve got centre backs coming back so we could move things around a bit and put Adam El-Abd or Adam Hinshelwood out there.”

Hinshelwood suffered a calf muscle twinge laat night but Slade does not expect it to be too serious. He will check on Murray’s fitness today as he prepares for the six-pointer with the Glovers.

Slade added: “Glenn was fine. I’m pleased with him. He felt a bit tired but I had a chat with him and he said he needed the workout.

“The most important thing is he came through and we will know a bit more today. Hopefully he is not sore.”