Albion's key visit to promotion rivals Rochdale tonight has been postponed for a second time.

It means Danny Cullip will miss Saturday's Withdean sell-out against third-placed Cardiff.

The Rochdale match was called off following a morning inspection by a local referee.

The pitch at Spotland, which the football club share with rugby league club Rochdale Hornets, is waterlogged.

The game, originally snowed off on December 30, was due to be the third of Cullip's three-match ban.

His suspension is now carried over to the Cardiff showdown, so Matthew Wicks and Andy Crosby will continue in the centre of defence against the Welshmen.

Meanwhile, manager Micky Adams has blamed a lack of grass for the injury which has jeopardised Richard Carpenter's chances of facing his old club on Saturday.

The former Cardiff midfielder has an ankle problem which Adams believes has been aggravated by weather restrictions on Albion's training facilities at the University of Sussex.

"The hard surfaces are killing him," Adams said. "We keep going in the gym or on the Astroturf and it just flares up."

Carpenter had an injection in the ankle yesterday. An X-ray revealed he will require minor surgery at the end of the season.

Steve Melton is on standby for his home League debut following his late call-up for last Saturday's 1-0 win at Torquay.

Lee Steele, who made his comeback from a knee injury as a second half substitute at Torquay, is expected to play in the reserves against Leyton Orient at Worthing tomorrow night (7pm).