Albion manager Mark McGhee today continued his exhaustive search for a target man after an embarrassing exit from the Carling Cup.

McGhee blamed last night's 2-1 home defeat by League Two team Bristol Rovers on the absence of a powerful front man to partner Leon Knight or Maheta Molango.

The striker crisis has been compounded by a shin injury sustained by Knight in the closing stages, which makes him a doubt for Saturday's visit of Preston.

Goals in the space of five minutes in the first half by Rovers' second choice strike pair Lee Thorpe and Richard Walker wiped out Guy Butters' early header and destroyed the Seagulls' hopes of securing their first win of the season.

McGhee said: "It demonstrated the need for a physical centre forward of stature to play up with Leon or Maheta.

"We must have got 25 excellent crosses in, particularly from Darren Currie, and we only got on the end of one of them when Maheta headed past a post.

"I cannot see where we are going to find this player. We have got very limited resources. We have been working overtime and we are still trying.

"The chairman, myself and the staff are out looking and talking to people to find a centre forward that can galvanise us into a better side."

Knight had to be helped off the pitch after the final whistle. "He has got a very bruised shin," McGhee revealed.

"There is not any real damage, but whether he plays on Saturday will depend on how bad it is and how much he can tolerate in terms of pain."