Charlie Oatway leads Albion into battle against his old club Cardiff tonight, knowing his place is under threat from his closest friend in the camp.

Richard Carpenter came on for Oatway towards the end of Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Crewe.

Carpenter, another Cardiff old boy, is keen to regain one of the central midfield slots after summer knee surgery forced him to miss the start of the season and another knee injury sidelined him from the last home game against Sheffield United.

Oatway and Carpenter were more likely to be partnering each other in the thick of the action until the arrival of Alexis Nicolas on loan from Chelsea at the start of the season.

The ever-present Cypriot under-21 international makes his first home appearance tonight since turning his temporary move into a permanent one as Carpenter waits for his chance.

Oatway, continuing as captain in the absence of hernia victim Danny Cullip, said: "Me and 'Chippy' have been room partners for five years and we are the best of mates.

"There are three central midfield players at the moment (Oatway, Nicolas and Dean Hammond), and it could be any one of us dropped for Chippy to come in.

"Everyone knows he is good enough to get into the side and play in this League. It is difficult for people at the moment to keep their position and the only way you can do that is by your performances.

"That is good for the gaffer. He has got the opportunity to make choices. That is not only with regards to Chippy. You have also got people like Nathan Jones who are not in the side."

Oatway has been as impressed as everyone else by the impact Nicolas has made. Manager Mark McGhee regards the pair as similar types.

"There is nothing of him but he is a no-holds-barred sort of player," Oatway said. "It doesn't matter who he is playing against or what size they are.

"I respect him for that. He is my sort of player, as the gaffer has said. He is a good player and an honest kid. You want that sort in your side all day long."

Oatway, 31, will always be grateful to Cardiff for signing him from non-League Yeading, then standing by him while he served a short prison sentence.

"It's ten years since I was there, but it's a great club," he said. "I loved it there.

"They gave me my chance in pro football, so I owe them a lot in that sense, but I will be doing my best to make sure we get the right result if selected.

"They've had a couple of good wins lately, so I am sure they will come here in good spirits.

"It's not going to be an easy game. They haven't done as well as they would have thought with the squad they've got and the size of the club."

Oatway sees tonight's clash as a chance for Albion to swiftly make amends for the controversial defeat at Crewe, where he could have scored a rare goal with a second half header and where a couple of disputed decisions by referee Trevor Parkes contributed to the Seagulls' demise.

"I couldn't believe it," Oatway said. "It was a funny game. We both had a lot of chances. They took theirs and we had a couple of good ones we should have buried, including myself.

"The third goal killed us, the way that came about, but this is a great opportunity for us to get over what happened on Saturday, with the two games being so close together.

"You have to dust yourself down and go again. Spirits are always high here, no matter what the circumstances are, and we are looking forward to the game."

Paul Reid makes his third appearance in a row at rightback. He is better known as a central midfielder, but the fierce competition for places there has given the Australian an opening to cement a place in a different position.

"I thought arguably our best player on Saturday was Paul Reid so Adam El-Abd, like Richard Carpenter, is going to have to win his place back," declared McGhee.

"I've said to Paul we have Alexis Nicolas now, Charlie, Richard and Dean Hammond, all of whom are vying for the central midfield positions.

"Reidy has an opportunity to be in the team if he is prepared to play at rightback and to play well.

"The most important thing for any player is that he is playing and Reidy seems to have taken that attitude.

"He wants to be in the team and he is prepared to play the position and work hard to keep it."