Andrew Whing has put his desire for a new contract on the back-burner as Albion fight for League One survival.

Whing returns from suspension at Huddersfield tomorrow with his future up in the air and Walsall and Bristol Rovers keeping tabs on his situation.

The former Coventry right-back is among 16 players out of contract at the end of the season and the Seagulls will not discuss new deals until they know which division they will be playing in.

Whing said: “I love it down here. I think the lads are brilliant and the manager has been fantastic to all of us as well since he came in.

“It’s a great club and it’s great to live down here as well. Obviously it is frustrating that it (contract) has not been sorted out yet but I haven’t really thought about it. All I’m thinking about is trying to keep Brighton up.

“Personally I think it should have been sorted out a lot earlier but it won’t affect me or what I do on the pitch. I don’t think about it when I am out there anyway.

“I think I have more than justified coming down here. I’ve played nearly 100 games in two seasons, so I think I have more than earned a contract really. We will have to wait and see, get ourselves safe first and go from there.”

Whing’s consistent performances have made him hot favourite to be named player-of-the-season.

Boss Russell Slade said: "He probably epitomises what we have needed to do, playing with the sort of passion he does and commitment and determination, what ever the state of the game.

"When things weren't going awfully well at times, he was still arguably one of our best players, putting in the biggest shift of all.

"From that point of view he has been one of the frontrunners in turning around our form."

Whing's comeback is likely to be the only change to the team which completed a hat-trick of away wins, and fourth out of five overall, at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.

Dean Cox is expected to shrug off a bang on the knee and Lloyd Owusu has recovered from stiffness.

"He has scored six in 11, so he'll be fine," Slade said. "Gradually we are getting there, including a little bit off the pitch.

"On the training ground it has been getting better but that's no good unless you reproduce it on a Saturday or a Tuesday evening.

"All the hard work in organisation and preparation seems to have come together with the performances we are now getting.

"The defending started with the strikers on Tuesday. The likes of Harty (Gary Hart) defended really well for us at times. In midfield Doug Loft continues to make improvement.

"There were a lot of players putting their bodies on the line, getting in blocks and headers, and that is what is required.

"Our away form is terrific at the moment. Whether we can grind one more win remains to be seen but with our fans behind us at a big stadium it's a big opportunity for us to push on again."