MAURICIO Taricco is poised for his first away start since January for Albion at Southampton tomorrow – if he is fully fit.

The 38-year-old assistant manager was outstanding at left-back after deputising for the injured Marcos Painter in the Seagulls’ last outing at home to Barnsley 12 days ago.

Painter has recovered from a knee knock but boss Gus Poyet said of Taricco: “If he’s fit he will play, it’s that simple. It’s a problem for the other full-backs, that’s for sure, but for me it’s not.”

Taricco lasted the whole match against Barnsley, his first 90 minutes in the league for seven years.

Asked if his No. 2 can survive to the final whistle against table-topping Saints, Poyet said: “It will depend on the game itself, how we play, how we keep the ball, cope with the power and style of Southampton.

“We gave him four days off to recover (after Barnsley) and he’s been doing well.

“Of course, he’s had aches and pains but he has been trying to get himself in the best condition to play.

“Tano understands the game to a different level and that’s what you need, that’s what we want, the players to understand how and when to do things on the pitch, not just be robots, get it and kick it in the channel all the time.

“We don’t want robots and Tano in those terms is the best.

“I am sure the rest of the players think the same. Of course, it’s a little harder for Calde (Inigo Calderon), Marcos, Romain Vincelot and company to say it but it’s the truth, because he shows it every time he plays.

“Tano would like us to get, with respect to the full-backs, the best full-back in the world so that he can sit down with me, relax and watch the game. At the moment it’s not the case.”

Most of Albion’s injury casualties are back in training but Vicente, Jara Gonzalo Reyes, Will Hoskins and Adam El-Abd are all still expected to be missing from the starting line-up or bench.