Albion midfielder Warren Aspinall is facing make or break surgery.

He has an ankle operation on Thursday which will decide whether he can carry on playing.

Manager Micky Adams said: "We are all hoping he is fine. This will determine his career."

Aspinall damaged his right ankle in a friendly behind closed doors against Southampton five weeks ago.

The 33-year-old has been used for scouting missions during his absence and took charge of the reserves at Wycombe last week when Adams' assistant Alan Cork suddenly left for Cardiff.

"I want to play on as long as I can, but it's not in my hands," said Aspinall. "I'll have to wait and see what the surgeon says and take it from there.

"If he says it cannot be repaired properly I will have to take his advice or I could end up a cripple.

"If I have to retire then you never know I might take the reserves if the job is still open, but I think the gaffer is looking to bring somebody in at the moment."

Adams is stepping up his search for a replacement for both Cork and Ian Culverhouse, who quit as reserve team boss last month to become youth coach at Barnet.

"I've got two or three targets I am quite interested in and over the next few days I'll be drawing up a shortlist," he said.

"I haven't got a time scale, although I need some help as soon as I can because there are lots of things I don't want to be bothering with which I am having to do."

Goalkeeper Mark Cartwright missed training yesterday with a thigh knock.

Adams expects him to be fit for fourth-placed Albion's showdown against Leyton Orient, the team immediately below them, at Withdean on Saturday.

The Seagulls have abandoned their interest in Senegal-born striker Cherif Diallo.