Albion have been plunged into a midfield crisis, with Simon Rodger and Charlie Oatway both facing surgery and long lay-offs.

Rodger has torn a cartilage in his left knee and Oatway has back disc damage.

Albion were initially optimistic Rodger's injury was not too severe after he was stretchered off in the second half of Wednesday's narrow Carling Cup exit at Middlesbrough.

The Shoreham-born former Crystal Palace servant flew back from the north-east yesterday and sees a surgeon today with a view to an operation taking place immediately.

Boss Steve Coppell said: "You would have to say he will be out for a minimum of a month.

"It is a big blow because he is left-footed, which gives us balance. When he plays well we go up a gear."

Oatway has been troubled for some time by what was thought to be a neck injury. A scan on Tuesday uncovered the real problem and he sees a specialist next Wednesday.

"We think he will need surgery at some stage," Coppell said. "It's another massive blow. He got back into the team on merit."

Coppell is down to 16 players for Albion's match at Hartlepool tomorrow, which launches another burst of three fixtures in eight days.

"I've really got to try to get somebody else in," he said. "The problem is there is an awful lot of competition for players."

At least Darius Henderson is available again after Reading prevented him from playing in the Carling Cup.

The on-loan striker has teamed up with the rest of the squad at their Darlington base.

Richard Carpenter and Robbie Pethick are likely to start in the middle of midfield and 16-year-old Jake Robinson will be on the bench again.

High-flying Hartlepool recently hit eight goals against Grimsby at Victoria Park.

The Seagulls' right winger Gary Hart, on target against them in the past, said: "I couldn't believe it when I saw that score, but we can get goals as well.

"Going from Middlesbrough to Hartlepool will be a bit of a come down, but we've got a job to do. We haven't played really well this season, apart from Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday, and we are still second."