Albion loan signing Matt Heath is in the dark about where his future lies during the run-in.

The Colchester centre half’s month with the Seagulls ends with the visit to MK Dons on April 4.

He could just find himself playing against Albion at Withdean nine days later now that Tommy Elphick has recovered from an ankle injury and Adam Virgo is free from suspension after Tuesday’s trip to Walsall.

Heath said: “I can’t really say anything because I am in the dark a bit about my future myself.

“I am not sure what my situation is at Colchester or what my situation is here. As a player all you can do is work hard in training each day and prepare for the games.

“I have got a couple of years after this at Colchester. When I came here from there I had not played for a few months, had struggled with injuries and the boys at Colchester were doing really well, so I couldn’t moan.

“The manager said go and get a few games under your belt and that’s what I am doing. Hopefully I can do well for myself and for Brighton and we can get out of this mess.”

Heath scored and conceded a penalty in an eventful debut at Leyton Orient last Saturday.

The 27-year-old was on the radar last summer of former Albion boss Micky Adams, his manager at Leicester and Coventry.

Colchester signed him instead from Leeds but Heath now finds himself in the fourth loan stint of his career.

He said: “It’s funny coming into a club straight away when you don’t know many people but I knew six or seven of the lads from previous clubs, so it didn’t feel that different to me.

“With four players coming in at the same time as well, you kind of bond with them. Everyone wants the same thing, so you pull together.”

Another of the newcomers, Gary Borrowdale, is back with parent club QPR for treatment on a twisted knee sustained after he set up Lloyd Owusu’s first half equaliser in Tuesday’s 3-1 home defeat by Southend.

That forces Russell Slade to make at least one change in defence against Yeovil.

Heath said: “If you play with each other week in and week out you get to know each other but we are not going to use that as an excuse.

“We have got enough players who can fill in. The gaffer has got a lot of choices and he could change it all around.”

David Livermore is likely to take over from Borrowdale at left-back as Albion try to improve on a horror run of nine goals conceded in three games.

Slade is hoping the work put in with the players during his first week on the training ground will make the Seagulls tighter.

He said: “Despite the defeat on Tuesday, I’ve enjoyed the week. I’ve had a bit of time to relate to the players, have a bit of rapport with them and, more importantly, work with them.

“We have done an awful lot of work in a short period of time this week and we need to do an awful lot more. It’s only a start but the players have responded well.

“They’ve taken things on board and I think we have given them the opportunity to eradicate some of those errors, some of those little lapses in concentration, through trying to get them organised that little bit better.

“I am here to help them, not to destroy them, because we all need to be pulling in the same direction. The more work we do I am sure the better we will get.”