ALBION midfielder Gary Dicker insists he is “lucky” after breaking a leg.

Dicker has been sidelined until January after suffering the injury against West Ham at The Amex last month.

Team-mate Tommy Elphick is out for the season following a second operation to repair a ruptured Achilles and fellow defender Adam El-Abd has only just resumed training after seven months out with a stress fracture of a foot.

Dicker told The Argus: “It’s frustrating, because we’re in a new ground and in the Championship, but it does make you realise how lucky you are. I can only imagine what Tommy Elphick and Adam El-Abd have gone through. It’s been twice as bad for them.

“You just count yourself lucky it wasn’t worse than it was. Once I get over Christmas I’ll hopefully be back on my feet and able to resume light training, building back up my fitness and getting my leg back stronger.

“It’s not the end of the world. Hopefully I can stay positive. I am bound to have good days and bad days but hopefully I’ll have more good days than bad.”

Dicker played for Albion twice against Southampton in League One last season, the 0-0 draw at St Mary’s in which on-loan Chris Wood missed a penalty and a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Withdean, which helped Saints finish runners-up after the Seagulls had already been crowned champions.

The Irishman believes those experiences and the clashes the season before mean Albion are equipped to end table-topping Southampton’s run of 19 successive home wins when the sides meet again in the Championship at St Mary’s on Saturday.

He said: “They were massive games last year and it’s just as big this year with them doing so well. When we went there last year the fans were unbelievable and we were unlucky not to win that game, missing a penalty.

“They are the games you want to be involved in and you hate missing. I just hope the lads can kick on again and I cannot see any reason why we cannot go there and win.

“I know that might sound a bit crazy but, out of all the teams in the league, we know them best because of the amount of times we have played them.”