Albion could loan out Vitalijs Maksimenko again - but only after Lewis Dunk is back from Bristol City.


  The Seagulls are keen to give Maksimenko more experience of first team football in England without compromising their own situation in defence.


  The Latvian international spent the latter part of last season on loan to last Saturday's hosts Yeovil.


  He helped them to promotion from League One via the play-offs after joining the Seagulls in January on a two-and-a-half year contract from Skonto Riga for an undisclosed fee.


  Head coach Oscar Garcia handed Maksimenko his full Albion debut at left-back in the home defeat by Derby County in August.


  Stephen Ward was signed on loan from Wolves for the season soon after, so Maksimenko has not featured since.


  Gordon Greer, Matt Upson and Adam El-Abd are all ahead of him at centre-half, where Maksimenko has established himself as a regular for Latvia under new coach Marian Pahars, the former Southampton player who was also his boss at Skonto Riga.


  Oscar said of a future loan move for the 22-year-old: "I want to have four centre-backs. We have to wait until Dunky comes back and then we will decide.


  "He (Maksimenko) can play as a centre-back or left-back. This kind of player is useful for any team, because with one player you can cover some positions."


  Dunk's loan at Bristol City is scheduled to finish after their trek to Carlisle on Saturday.


  He was an unused sub in last Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Crewe, which dropped Bristol to the foot of the table, and is yet to make a League One appearance for them.


  Sean O'Driscoll's strugglers face Brentford at Ashton Gate tonight.