TOMER Hemed still has a big part to play in Albion’s promotion push.

That is the message from team-mate Sam Baldock as last season’s top scorer braces himself for a watching brief again.

Hemed will be on the bench for the sixth match in succession at Cardiff on Saturday.

The centre-forward, who bagged 19 goals last season for club and country, has been squeezed out of the starting line-up by Baldock’s prolific combination with Glenn Murray.

Their form, together with an injury sustained on international duty with Israel, has restricted Hemed to less than half-an-hour of Championship action since the end of September.

Baldock said: “He’s a good character and is a good lad. He understands the situation and when needed he’ll be there.

“And we will need him at some point because it takes the entire squad to get to where we want to go.”

Albion are hoping for a favour from Fulham, their latest victims. The Londoners are at home on Saturday to Reading, who remain four points adrift of the second-placed Seagulls after five straight wins.

Albion boss Chris Hughton said: “It’s the most important lead, because it’s the one that keeps us in that automatic position. We are going to lose games, every team in this division will.

“When you don’t have such a good day you know that at least that gap is there. You can’t rely on it. We’ll soon come into a period of three games a week. That’s when things can change.”