Shane Duffy has promised to battle on through a nagging groin problem.

And that could include helping Albion try to avenge a bitter defeat when they play Aston Villa today.

Duffy is playing through discomfort and managing his training workload.

He has revealed he has been troubled since pre-season and the problem flared again in the recent home win over Bournemouth.

But he is available for selection at home to a Villa side whose 2-1 stoppage-time win in the corresponding fixture handed the Seagulls one of their worst moments of the campaign.

Duffy said: “It’s been a build-up from the games in the summer. I came back with it.

“It feels all right, I just get bad weeks. Against Bournemouth at home, I hurt it.

“It’s just been niggles. It’s nothing to keep me out of games.

“It’s just that I’m not at full fitness but I don’t think any footballer is fully fit when they play a match anyway.

“There’s no excuses. It won’t stop me.”

Duffy believes Villa will be full of respect for their Albion counterparts despite beating them in October.

He said: “We’ve got to take positives from the Villa game.

“I thought we were the better team and they were quite lucky to come away with the win.

“I spoke to a few of their players and they thought that as well, they thought we were very good on the day. Obviously being down to ten men hampered us.

“If we play the same as we did up there with the same tactics, same approach and keep 11 men on the pitch, we’re quite confident of winning the game.”