Richard Carpenter will make his first appearance of the season tonight hoping for a League return at Watford on Saturday week.

The experienced midfielder has missed the start of Albion's Coca-Cola Championship campaign because of an operation on his left knee.

Carpenter will play 45 minutes in a friendly against non-league Worthing at Woodside Road hoping to make the squad for next week's visit to Vicarage Road.

But the 31-year-old is taking nothing for granted.

He said: "People have been asking me 'how long will it be until you are back in the first team?' but I just want to see how it goes at Worthing before making any judgment.

"I wouldn't like to say whether I can make Watford yet. If we can get any positives out of the Worthing game there's half a-chance. I've just got to keep progressing.

"But I am happy to be back playing a game of football at last. It has seemed a long time coming.

"Psychologically it has been a bind, having to come into the gym every day instead of being out on the training pitch with the lads. But Mal (physio Malcolm Stuart) has guided me in the right direction.

"I've needed to get down to working hard to try and get back where I was.

"My knee feels okay. I've been training really hard with the running side of things. It'll be nice to put it in a game situation."

Carpenter admitted it has been a strange experience missing the start of the season. He said: "I've been lucky and can't remember missing the start in the 14 years I've played as a professional.

"I knew I had to have the operation. It is something that had been troubling me for 14 months. It was getting worse."

Carpenter, who has made 173 league appearances for Albion, last played for the Seagulls in the play-off final victory over Bristol City.

He was a member of the squad which played in the First Division two years ago.

Chris McPhee and Charlie Oatway will also face Worthing.

McPhee, who picked up a foot injury pre-season, plays his first match this term.

Oatway returns after sustaining hamstring trouble in the opening-day defeat at Reading.

Manager Mark McGhee said: "We want Chris, Richard and Charlie ready and available for the Watford game. Whether they'll go straight into the team is a different thing but we'd like them fit."

Midfielder Paul Reid, sidelined for the wins against Preston and Leicester with a groin problem, will also be given a run-out.alb_news415.txt