Chris Hughton wants his Albion side to be flexible for the Championship season.

And that could mean taking the chance to play two up front when it arises.

The Seagulls boss is preparing his squad for a first outing in front of many of their fans as they play Lewes at a packed Dripping Pan tomorrow.

Hughton has used two strike pairings in games against Meyrin and Southampton in the past week, with Sam Baldock partnering Tomer Hemed and Adrian Colunga working off Chris O’Grady.

Although fans should not read too much into that, Hughton admits his side must have different formations up their sleeve.

He said: “We played 4-4-2 and 4-4-1-1 because it suited the options we had up front.

“I think in the division we are playing in, there are so many different tests that we cannot afford to be rigid in the system we play, We have to have options.”

Hughton hopes to build on what he saw as a pleasing performance behind closed doors against Southampton on Wednesday, when his side were beaten by a last-gasp goal.

He said: “I was really pleased. It was a very strong Southampton team for 60 minutes, then they made a few changes, but I thought we did well.

“Probably on the balance of play they had more possession but I thought we deserved more from the game.

“It was a real shame to concede right at the end.

“Of course it’s about fitness but every game you play, you want to get a result, particularly against a Premier League team with the quality they have got.”