Joel Lynch is hoping to resume a long-standing defensive partnership with fellow Albion graduate Tommy Elphick now that he has recovered from injury.

Lynch has watched and admired the performances of his close friend Elphick at the heart of the back four this season while he has been out with a hairline leg fracture and hamstring trouble.

"Tommy Elphick has been outstanding while I haven't been playing," Lynch said. "He has done brilliantly to keep his position. I think he has made it his own.

"We played all the way through the youth team together since the age of about ten. Both of our games really changed and we really grew up when we went to Bognor on loan.

"We did really well there for Bognor and ourselves. I was called back and got into the first team when Mark McGhee was in charge and now Elphy has got into the first team it is brilliant for both of us, the way we have progressed together.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later we will be playing together."

That could just happen at Brisbane Road against Leyton Orient tomorrow (Saturday). Elphick has recovered from the groin injury which kept him out of Wednesday's 4-1 victory at Withdean against Cheltenham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Lynch made his first start in that match since early September alongside Guy Butters and the pair are now vying for a place alongside Elphick.

Lynch, who also had an hour-long run-out in the reserves at Watford on Monday, said: "I don't know what the team is but hopefully I will be involved.

"I think Tommy will play on the right side and if I am fit I'll play on the left side but it's up to the gaffer. Butts is probably more match fit than me. Either way I'll be happy.

"I enjoyed it the other night. It was a good result.

"My own performance was a bit shaky at times but it was my first game back in ages and I was just glad to get 90 minutes.

"I felt a bit stiff the day after the game but I feel good now."

Lynch is anxious to make up for lost time. The highly-rated 20-year-old's last League appearance was in the 3-0 home victory against Millwall ten weeks ago.

"I don't think my season has even started yet," he said. "The other day was like my pre-season friendly.

"I'll try to work my way back into the team and when I am in there every week that will be when my season starts. That is what I am looking forward to.

"It has been good watching everyone do so well but then again you are thinking, why are they doing so well when I'm not playing?

"I was standing watching our attacking play the other night (against Walsall) and thinking 'we didn't used to do this before'. There is a lot of confidence in the team and everyone is doing really well.

"Orient are doing well but if we play as well as we have been then we can definitely get a result."

Should Elphick and Lynch be Albion's first-choice pair in the centre of defence? Let us know what you think.