Jim McNulty is in contention for his first competitive appearance for Albion since losing a kidney.

The left-back has been included in a 20-man squad for tonight's game at Huddersfield and could at least be on the bench in the absence of the injured Jake Wright.

McNulty has been limited to little more than an hour's action in pre-season friendlies against Scunthorpe and Shoreham since having a kidney removed after a freak collision with a Crewe opponent at Withdean in May.

Manager Russell Slade said: "He is getting there, he's just lacking games. In an ideal world we would have liked him to have had two or three reserve team games by now.

"We have organised a game behind closed doors next week and we have brought forward a reserve team game (Orient away) to September 1, so we are doing a bit to try to get a few games in.

"Everybody would love him to be back sooner rather than later but we have to do it right. He is here for the long-term, not the short-term, and he has to be totally comfortable with it.

"I think he is. He has gained more confidence as he has trained more and played bits and bobs in games."

Slade is likely to start with Andrew Whing at left-back and Adam El-Abd at right-back after Wright's away league debut was cut short by a hamstring strain in Saturday's goalless draw at Brentford.

The former Crawley defender faces a scan on Thursday but the prognosis is relatively gloomy.

Slade said: "He will probably be out for around three weeks, although we're not sure. There are different degrees of strain and the scan will tell us that."

Playmaker Dean Cox could be deployed again just in behind former Huddersfield loan signing Liam Dickinson as Albion seek their first goal of the season.

Huddersfield, aiming for a quick south coast double, impressed Slade in Saturday's 3-1 home win against Southampton.

"I've seen the whole 90 minutes on DVD and they just devoured Southampton," he said. "It could have been six or seven."