Paul Weller has been robbed of the chance to make Albion pay for overlooking him as a youngster by the cruellest of twists.

Burnley's Brighton-born midfielder misses tomorrow's showdown against his home city club through injury.

Weller had cartilage surgery in the summer, but that is not the reason for his absence.

"The knee is okay but I twisted my foot a few weeks ago, so I've timed it wrong," he revealed.

"I only started training with the physio on Tuesday. Hopefully I will be available for our match at Wolves on Saturday week."

There will, nevertheless, be not one but two Wellers on the pitch at Turf Moor tomorrow. His brother's young son and daughter are the mascots.

"His little boy is more of a Brighton suppporter," Weller said. "The little girl is sticking with me at Burnley!

"I will be in the changing room making sure they are all right, but it's disappointing that I am not involved.

"Quite a few of the family are coming to watch, Brighton supporters as well as Burnley, and you always want to play in the first game of the season."

Weller was brought up in Hove until the age of 11, when the family moved to Worthing.

A spell playing for Worthing after Albion snubbed him as a schoolboy prompted his long association with the Lancastrian club.

"I played a few games with Brighton," Weller said. "I had trials for an apprenticeship but never really got anywhere.

"I started with Worthing Dynamos and then played for Worthing's first team for a few games. The manager John Murray played for Burnley years ago and fixed up a trial for me. That was 11 years ago and I am still here.

"Two of us were signed. The other one, Stuart Anderson, only lasted the two years as an apprentice then went back to Worthing.

"It was disappointing that Brighton didn't want me but I expected it because at that time they had blinkers on when they picked the youngsters.

"There was a good team called Bevendean Barcelona. They had all of their players and never looked at others.

"How many home-grown players have Brighton got? They have such a big catchment area where as up here Blackburn and Preston are just up the road, as well as the likes of Bury and Rochdale.

"I find it amazing that Brighton haven't in the past brought in more local youngsters. Stuart Tuck was in my age group and he was about the only one that made it with them."

Burnley is very much home to Weller now. The 27-year-old is starting his tenth successive season with the Clarets.

"I have never really seen Brighton play," he admitted. "Everyone talks about Bobby Zamora, but it is going to be different for them this season.

"Rotherham came up and survived because they are a tough team to beat, especially at their place.

"Brighton's home form is what will keep them in the First Division. Withdean is probably the worst ground.

"You never know though, Millwall took it by storm last season after coming up. It all depends on how they start. The first few games will be very important."