Gus Poyet is confident of avoiding a major midfield headache when his in-form side return home.

Dean Hammond is recovering from a knee injury which forced him to leave Albion’s landmark 2-0 win at Championship leaders Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Striker Craig Mackail-Smith (knee) and skipper Gordon Greer (hamstring) both missed the match through injury.

Poyet believes the trio will be available to face fellow play-off chasers Burnley at The Amex on Saturday.

The need for Hammond to regain full fitness is particularly pressing given that his fellow midfield pivot Liam Bridcutt is banned from the next two matches after picking up a tenth booking of the season.

Poyet, himself still recovering from a virus, last night told The Argus: “ It looks like all three would be okay for Saturday.”

Inigo Calderon occupied a deep-lying midfield role as substitute after Hammond limped off in South Wales.

Creative midfielder Andrea Orlandi admits Bridcutt will be a tough man to replace, whoever gets the job, as he sits out the visits of the Clarets and then Huddersfield a week later.

Orlandi said: “We’ve got a lot of quality but we don’t have another player quite like Liam.”