BOSS Chris Hughton has told Anthony Knockaert he is a victim of hot competition at Albion, not form.

The French winger has lost his place in the starting line-up for the last two of the Seagulls' three 1-0 wins in succession.

Knockaert played against West Ham but Hughton went with a combination of record signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh and fit-again Jose Izquierdo against Newcastle and Wolves.

Hughton told The Argus: "He doesn't have to do too much more to get into the side.

"When you have options and really good competition you know that you are able to change personnel, the team, for what ever reason, a particular game.

"Alireza came a little later, had a time of adjustment. He is also a very good player, gives us something a little different to Anthony.

"So he (Knockaert) doesn't really have to do too much and he also wasn't doing too much wrong.

"It's just that at this moment, if we also included Solly (March) as a wide player – we have been playing him as a ten – we have got really good options and good options to change."

Knockaert had mixed fortunes last season against tomorrow's host Everton.

He scored in the 1-1 draw at the Amex, then was sent-off later in the season in the 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park.

Knockaert is expected to be on the bench again on Merseyside.

Hughton is likely to name an unchanged starting line-up as Albion pursue four straight victories for only the second time in their top flight history.