Albion defender Tommy Elphick spoke to his club's official website and the Argus ahead of his side's League One game against Carlisle at the Withdean Stadium tomorrow, Elphick coming into the team in place of the suspended Adam El-Abd :
"I'm delighted to be called up and I have got to take the opportunity. It's two games that Adam's suspended for and it's not about just stepping in, I have got to go out there and take my chance.It's been difficult to come into the side just for the cup games but I always knew situation. For me that shows that I'm in the gaffer's plans because if he didn't believe in me he wouldn't have thrown me in for such big games.
"Although they were cup games and good to play in, the league is the bread and butter. I've been waiting for this chance and it's good to be coming into this defence with the three characters around me. Then to have Casper (Ankergren) behind and Liam (Bridcutt) in front is great.I was part of the defence that got us to the top of the table during the first 12 games of the season so I'm looking forward to coming into a defence which has remained solid.
"Every game between now and the end of the season is going to be like a cup final and we have got to get the wins to get the league won as soon as possible. Carlisle are a tough team to play and we'll be looking at all their pros and cons as a team, then looking to cancel them out and try to take advantage. They had a good win on Tuesday against Charlton but it was a long way for them to come, and they have got to make that journey again. If we can keep doing what we have been doing, we should be just fine."
In team news for the Seagulls tomorrow, we already know that Elphick will replace El-Abd in the centre of defence tomorrow after El-Abd picked up a two-match suspension after earning his tenth yellow of the card of the season in Brighton's 1-0 win at Yeovil on Tuesday evening.
Other definite absentees are Jim McNulty and Jamie Smith, left-back McNulty having undergone an operation on a persistent ankle problem in mid-December, while midfielder Smith suffered a fractured metatarsal in his right foot in a tackle with Jake Caskey during a mid-January training session.
In better news for Seagulls boss Gus Poyet though two of his experienced midfielders are back into contention for places in the first-team, the pair albeit slightly lacking in match fitness. Midfielder Alan Navarro having recently turned to full training after being out for seven months with ruptured knee ligaments, while Radostin Kishishev is a little ahead of Navarro recovery-wise after only being out for a short while with a back injury.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Oliver Langford from Wednesbury in the West Midlands and he will be assisted down the lines by Ian Crouch from Orpington on the South-East outskirts of London and Adrian Tranter from Poole in Dorset. Meanwhile the fourth official is John Hopkins from Wickford in Essex.