Albion defender Adam El-Abd has vowed not to rush his return from injury for the glamour FA Cup clash away to Aston Villa.

El-Abd’s recovery from a stress fracture of a metatarsal in his right foot is due to coincide with the Seagulls’ fourth round trip to Villa Park on January 23.

The Brighton-born powerhouse would love to be involved but he will not take any risks with Albion just outside the relegation zone and only just past the halfway point in their League One campaign.

El-Abd said: “It’s been a week now and I have made really good progress in that time.

“I am just starting to get myself back in the pool and gym but still making sure the foot is given the best protection to heal.

“It is hopefully going to be four weeks in total so another three weeks from now.

“The Villa game is an incentive but I cannot let that make me rush when the foot is not ready.

“It would be great to be involved in that game in any way, even travelling as an unused substitute, but I have got to bear in mind there is the rest of the season.

“There are still another 20-odd games to go in the league. Hopefully if I can get back in the timescale that has been set then I won’t miss too much football and won’t have that much fitness to catch up on.”

El-Abd had been ever-present in the back four under Gus Poyet until missing last Saturday’s FA Cup victory at Torquay.

He said: “It’s come at an unfortunate time, because results are just starting to pick up and things were going well for me but there is no point crying over it.

“Now I have got to set myself a target to make sure it is four weeks and not six, do everything right and give myself the best opportunity to get on with the rest of the season.”

Albion’s scheduled reserve game at Eastbourne Borough tonight became an early casualty yesterday of the big freeze.

The reserve fixture at home to QPR next Wednesday has also been postponed, due to Everton’s visit to Withdean in the FA Youth Cup the following night.