Albion midfielder Richard Carpenter has revealed a secret injury battle.

The Seagulls' free-kick hotshot has been plagued by ankle trouble for SIX months.

Carpenter hurt his left ankle in the home Worthington Cup defeat by Millwall back in August.

An injection allowed him to carry on playing, but the damage flared up again during the warm-up at Torquay last Saturday.

He was pulled out of the team just 20 minutes before kick-off and is fighting to be fit to face his old club Cardiff in Saturday's big promotion clash at Withdean.

"I've had the problem ever since the Millwall match," Carpenter said. "I had a jab about three and a half months ago, which helped it along considerably.

"Then last Saturday it happened at totally the wrong time. I couldn't move the ankle at all. It just locked."

Carpenter had another injection on Monday. An X-ray also revealed he will require minor surgery at the end of the season. He would have missed Tuesday's postponed visit to Rochdale but is now desperate to play against his old club.

"I am looking forward to Saturday if I am selected," Carpenter said. "Steve Melton went in for me at Torquay and he did very well. I had a very good time at Cardiff. I was lucky enough to win promotion in my first year there."

Micky Adams is a big admirer of Carpenter. The tough-tackling 28-year-old was a regular in the Fulham side steered to promotion by the Albion boss four seasons ago.

Adams initially tried to buy him from Cardiff the summer before last. A subsequent change of heart by Carpenter and his partner eventually saved the Seagulls £50,000.

"When I came back off holiday the second year I was there Micky had rung up and spoken to Frank Burrows," Carpenter explained.

"Frank was wondering about selling me, but a move didn't feel right for me at the time. I had the chance of playing Second Division football, so I wanted to see out my contract.

"That is what happened. I ended up playing 35 games under Frank and then Billy Ayre last season.

"Cardiff were relegated and it was a different situation by the summer. My girlfriend was pregnant. She went from loving the place where we were living in Gloucestershire to missing her family and friends in Kent.

"It turned the whole situation on its head, so I jumped at the chance when Micky spoke to me again."

After two goals in 75 League games for Cardiff, Carpenter rejected the offer of another two-year contract.

Albion saw off competition from Gillingham, Colchester and Leyton Orient to sign him on a three-year deal under the Bosman ruling.

'Chippy' and his family have settled in Maidstone and he has been an influential figure in the centre of the park so far this season alongside skipper Paul Rogers and fellow Cardiff old boy Charlie Oatway.

The Torquay match was only the fourth he has missed. One of the others was the LDV Vans Trophy victory against Cardiff at Withdean in December, when Adams named a makeshift side and he was rested.

By then Alan Cork had gone in the opposite direction. Cork quit Albion for Cardiff in December, paving the way for Bob Booker to become Adams' assistant.

"It came as a big shock to me when Corky went," Carpenter admitted. "Kevin Nugent, who I was good friends with at Cardiff, rang me about it and I thought he was joking at first.

"I think Micky and Corky are a good combination, but Bob is his own character. He is very meticulous and professional in what he does and he has a laugh with the lads as well."

Carpenter has contributed four goals as Albion pursue an amazing promotion sequence for the Jurgen Klinsmann lookalike.

He is aiming to go up from the basement division for the fourth time in six seasons with four different clubs, having already achieved the feat with Gillingham in 1995-96, Fulham in 1996-97 and Cardiff in 1998-99.

"It is going really well for me and I definitely have no regrets," he said.

"I'd worked with Micky before and I have the upmost respect for him as a manager.

"I have been disappointed with my own performances in the last couple of games.

"I started to feel a bit sore with the ankle again and have found the training quite difficult on the hard surfaces, because we haven't been able to get onto grass much.

"Hopefully we can carry on our form and get promoted, which is what everybody wants.

"A lot of people started to doubt us after the Exeter defeat and rightly so, but we got the right result at Torquay.

"It is no surprise to me that Cardiff are up there as well, given the amount of money they have spent.

"We probably haven't seen the last of their spending. They are obviously a strong team, but then so are we. We've got quality in depth.

"Chesterfield are keeping a good run of form going, but we have just got to concentrate on ourselves."