Andrea Orlandi has been backed to unlock the door for Albion in the play-offs.

The Seagulls failed to score in both legs of last year’s semi-final against Crystal Palace.

Orlandi, pictured below, has missed most of the season with knee and thigh injuries but he has started the last two matches and team-mate Keith Andrews believes the gifted Spanish midfielder could make a difference against Derby County.

Andrews told The Argus: “All of the midfielders have different attributes but Andrea is the one that has that kind of creativity we have missed at times this season.

“He is the one that can thread that eye-of-a-needle pass, try to slide in the wingers we have with their pace.

“Added to that he has done very well in the last few games. First and fore-most, to get in this team you have to have a certain degree of work-rate about you.

“We don’t really agree with slackers or people that put the handbrake up and aren’t willing to put that shift in. For me that is a given of any footballer.

“It’s proabably not something that’s natural to him because he would prefer, like all of us, to be doing the nicer things but he has done fantastically well to get back from a couple of niggly injuries that have kept him out for decent spells. He’s a great player to have back involved at this pivotal stage of the season.”