Diego could return to Albion

The Seagulls cannot afford to buy him but manager Gus Poyet will consider trying to re-sign Stoke’s Uruguayan midfielder on a season-long loan.

Poyet told The Argus: “It’s a difficult one, simply because of Premier League wages. I won’t rule out a season-long loan.”

Poyet has vowed to do everything in his power to get Arismendi’s 11th dismissal of the season for the Seagulls in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at MK Dons rescinded, even if it means forking out the £500 appeal fee himself.

Arismendi was sent-off by referee Oliver Langford, along with Dons midfielder Alex Rae, after the pair manhandled each other on the stroke of half-time.

Poyet tried in vain to persuade Langford to look at a replay of the incident on a laptop soon after the final whistle.

“I think it’s an easy one,” he said. “Every single one of the players said nothing happened. If there was a punch or a reaction then okay, you have to send players off, but there was nothing like that. He didn’t need to make that kind of decision.

“It is about accepting responsibility. I accept mine when I name my team and make changes. I think the referee should accept that he made a mistake. There is nothing wrong with that, we all make mistakes.”

If an appeal fails then Arismendi will serve a three-match suspension. That would rule him out of the final game of the season at home to Yeovil on Saturday and, like Glenn Murray, he would also be banned for the first two matches next season.

Poyet said: “He was absolutely devastated. It has been a long time since I have seen a player so down.

“He didn’t deserve it and we will make sure that nothing happens. I will try to help him as much as I can over the red card.”

Albion’s Reserves face a hectic climax to their campaign. Today’s Sussex Senior Cup final against Bognor at Eastbourne Borough (3pm) is followed by a midday visit to Millwall on Wednesday and the closing Combination League fixture against Crawley at the Falmer training ground on Friday (2pm).