Albion manager Chris Hughton is continuing to assess the players out of contract at the end of the season, headed by Inigo Calderon.

Swashbuckling Spaniard Calderon has started every game in defence or midfield since Hughton took charge on New Year’s Eve.

Hughton told The Argus: “That’s ongoing. These are situations that we are obviously very aware of.

“Sometimes it’s simpler if you have got a manager that was here at the start of the season that’s still here at the end of the season.

“When you have a change halfway through that manager has to assess where we are with each player.

“A small part is thinking about next season but it can only be a small part. By far the largest part is to make sure we secure our position in this league, then look to build from there.”

Calderon scored twice on his 200th Albion appearance against Birmingham last Saturday and added another against Leeds on Tuesday to boost his chances of staying.

He joined Albion in January 2010 and his current one-year deal expires in June.