Roberto De Zerbi says a busy month ahead can be crucial to Albion’s season.

The Seagulls face four games in 12 days, starting with tonight’s Carabao Cup third round tie at Chelsea.

De Zerbi will name as strong a line-up as he can at Stamford Bridge while also mindful of the tests which lie ahead at Aston Villa and Marseille before a home game against Liverpool a week on Sunday.

That period plus the international window which follows are being seen as key to setting up the squad for the months ahead.

De Zerbi said: “It is a very tough period and I think it can be crucial as we will play without Pascal Gross and James Milner.

“After these four games, Carlos Baleba, (Mahmoud) Dahoud, Igor, Ansu Fati can help us morE.

“We have to finish this part of the season in the best way.

“We try to give respect to our club, to our fans, to ourselves.

“We want to respect football and the people who become to the stadium.

“To do that we have to play seriously, we have to give our best and we have to prepare the game like a Premier League game, like Europa.”

De Zerbi hinted that Baleba and Dahoud are more likely to start in midfield than former Chelsea man Billy Gilmour.

He will only play Evan Ferguson if he is confident the striker has fully recovered from recent illness having looked below his best against Bournemouth.

Gross and Milner are likely to be out until after the international break.