Loan defender Keith Lowe could return to Wolverhampton Wanderers without kicking a ball in Albion's first team.

Lowe is unlikely to feature in the squad for tonight's Carling Cup first round clash at home to League Two strugglers Boston United.

Wolves will only allow him to be involved if the Seagulls intend keeping him for longer than a month.

Manager Mark McGhee has options in the centre of defence now that he has signed veteran Frenchman Georges Santos.

Adam El-Abd is suspended this evening as a result of his red card at Nottingham Forest on Saturday but he will be available for the final match of Lowe's month on loan at home to Crewe on Sunday.

Back injury victim Guy Butters has resumed training and Adam Hinshelwood (knee) is on a longer road to recovery.

Lowe has been restricted to one appearance for Albion's reserves following Joel Lynch's quicker than anticipated recovery from injury at the start of the season.

Former QPR stopper Santos, 36, starts for the first time tonight alongside Lynch. West Ham have given Albion permission to play on-loan midfielder Tony Stokes and Dean Cox makes his full home debut up front, with Gary Hart ruled out by a bruised right ankle.

Hart's injury is responding well to treatment and he is expected to be fit to face Crewe.

In the meantime, Alex Revell is poised to switch to centre forward, with Cox and Jake Robinson on the flanks.

Albion, beaten at Shrewsbury in the first round last year, are taking no chances against Boston as they try to bounce back from their first defeat of the season at Forest.

McGhee revealed: "We have been thorough in our preparation in that we have practised penalties, so we are not taking them for granted by any means."

McGhee remains hopeful of persuading Hull manager Phil Parkinson, one of his former players, to part company with target man Ben Burgess before the transfer window shuts next week.

Chief scout Dean White watched Burgess in Hull's Carling Cup tie against Tranmere at the KC Stadium last night.

Meanwhile, fourth choice young goalkeeper John Sullivan is in line for a place on the bench to cover Michel Kuipers when Albion visit Bristol City on Saturday week.

Wayne Henderson, replaced by Kuipers tonight, will be with the Republic of Ireland squad for their European Championship qualifier in Germany on the same day as the Bristol match and third choice Richard Martin is on loan to Dorchester.

"We might go with John Sullivan," McGhee confirmed. "We will take a closer look at John nearer the time but that's what we are hoping we can do, rather than having to recall Richard."

Sullivan had a finger operation in the summer. He made his first appearance of the season in a youth team friendly against Haywards Heath last night.