Boss Steve Coppell is demanding a professional response from the victim of the duel to be Albion's No. 1.

Michel Kuipers and Ben Roberts are fighting it out to be between the posts for the big kick-off at Oldham a week tomorrow.

"It's interesting and good for me," Coppell said. "Hopefully they will push each other on. Hopefully neither of them will bale out.

"I've got to make a decision of a one and a two. I hope the one who misses out is going to be a good professional and I'm sure they will.

"I hope the attitude will be 'I'm not starting the season, but I'm going to make sure I get in there.'

"During the course of this season I guarantee we will use 35 players at least, so I would imagine every pro is going to get an opportunity at some stage.

"People might not start, but their mentality is going to be vital. If the ones not in the team are not pushing to be in the team then you get a sloppy club. We've got to be a competitive club from top to bottom."

The re-signing of Roberts from Charlton after a loan spell last season has given the Seagulls the strongest goalkeeping hand in the Second Division.

Lingering doubts over Kuipers' recovery from a kicking muscle pull, which ruled him out from January and required surgery, convinced Coppell he needed an established option.

"Perhaps Michel wasn't at the stage I thought he would be. By the time we came back pre-season he was only just beginning to start kicking.

"Having had the problem for so long, it could take a while for him to get back up to speed from a kicking perspective. That's to be proved.

"Ben was available. He was comfortable here before and we were comfortable with him, so familiarity went an awful long way in that respect."

Albion visit Third Division newcomers Yeovil tonight, their first League opponents in the programme of friendlies.

Captain Danny Cullip is relieved to be back in training after missing the warm-up matches against Crawley, Woking and Barnet with a much less serious version of the injury which has dogged Kuipers.

"It's great to come back in," Cullip said. "It's been quite quick, 12 days, which is good. "Thigh injuries are similar to hamstring injuries, you never know how long they could be. Sometimes they are four to six weeks, but, touch wood, it is looking okay."