Albion have been hit by another serious injury blow.

Gary Dicker has fractured a fibula and will be out of action for 12 to 14 weeks.

The midfielder was stretchered off in the second half of Monday’s 1-0 home defeat by West Ham after twisting awkwardly as he went to challenge goalscorer Kevin Nolan.

His fears were confirmed following a consultation with a specialist in London yesterday.

Dicker will have surgery on Monday to repair the injury, which is the same one suffered by former Albion star Bobby Zamora with Fulham last season. The Irishman joins Tommy Elphick as a long-term absentee. The centre-half came successfully through a second operation in Finland yesterday to repair his ruptured Achilles.

Albion’s hopes of a first win in eight games in the Championship have at least been boosted by the return to fitness of Vicente.

The Spanish playmaker is available again for Saturday’s trip to in-form Birmingham.

Boss Gus Poyet has confirmed Vicente’s recovery from the thigh injury which ruled him out of last week’s 1-1 draw at Millwall and the West Ham game.

The former Valencia star was badly missed against the Hammers. Poyet said: “He will give us quality in the last third, especially when you have got the ball all the time.”

Liam Bridcutt is a booking away from a ban heading into the game at Birmingham after collecting his fourth caution of the campaign on Monday.

Saturday’s relegated hosts will leapfrog the 12th placed Seagulls into eighth if they beat Leeds at St Andrews tonight in one of their games in hand arising from their involvement in the Europa League as Carling Cup winners.