The first two questions I was asked by a local reporter after arriving early for the Albion press conference were fair enough.

Firstly, what happened at Aston Villa on Saturday?

Secondly, have Brighton got any Francophone players they might put up to take our questions?

Carlos Baleba and Simon Adingra were the obvious answers to question two.

As it turned out, it was neither.

The Seagulls went route one and put forward the captain, the local man, the symbol of the club in many ways.

The man who missed the Europa League debut.

Lewis Dunk strode on to the stage alongside Roberto De Zerbi in a room deep below the towering stands of Stade Velodrome yesterday evening.

He was there for a press conference mainly in English and French but with a bit of Italian too.

For quite a while the captain had little to do other than watch was happening in front of him.

He will be happy if it is like that from 5.45pm this evening.

But then the man who made his debut in a League One 0-0 at MK Dons was asked what this all meant to him.

He replied: “It has been a long old journey, an enjoyable journey and a journey I can see improving over the next years.

“Do I think I would be sitting here as captain of the club in the Europa League? No.

“But I’ve worked hard to get here along with the football club and I’m going to embrace every single moment.”

Marseille traditionally play Van Halen’s Jump as their theme tune, the song to which they walk out.

Dunk spoke about leading the team out in European competition and that will be a nice moment.

The walk-on itself can be pretty special at the Velodrome.

But then it will have gone. It will be game time.

Yes, it’s another “how far they have come” occasion.

As it was when they hosted AEK Athens on their European debut.

At The Argus, we were as much a part of that build-up as anyone and unashamedly so. It had to be done.

But it also felt like the occasion got to Albion on the night.

What we will never know is whether they would have looked quite so ill at ease on the occasion had the skipper been out there.

Anyway, he answered the question about his European debut and moved on.

One gets the impression he knows where he has come from but still has items on the agenda.

He is not too much about sentiment, all about getting the job done.

Asked about the anticipated hostile atmosphere, he said: “We are expecting the environment like you said.

“There are hostile environments in England.

“We have not had so much European experience in the squad - some have, some haven’t.

“We are coming here to play a game of football, to win.

“It doesn’t matter what is going on around the pitch.

“We have got to focus on ourselves, the ball and defending.

Well, yes. But there is also an argument that the world’s strongest lead does not have the world’s best atmospheres.

That Marseille will be something different.

On the other hand, everything will be different anyway. Albion will be ready for it.

It’s not like turning up at your own, very familiar home and finding things have changed a bit.

Unfamiliar opponents, type of match, type of refereeing, even the music beforehand.

I was planning to ask a question about Albion playing with less pressure this time than a fortnight ago.

But that was overtaken by concern over Pervis Estupinan and the fact no one had yet enquired about him.

Anyway, Gennaro Gattuso had said it before from the OM viewpoint.

They are playing under pressure.

Their crowd can help them but that changes if the team do not have a good 20 minutes.

That was an interesting comment and maybe Gattuso said it for a reason.

To alert his team to make a good start. Or as a subtle message to the fans to stick with their side.

The pressure on Albion is the potential position in the group if they lose, especially if AEK add to Ajax’s worries.

The factor of a team coming off a defeat with a point to prove is obviously cancelled out here as it applies to both sides.

But – and whisper it on La Canebiere - Albion arguably suffered to a greater degree that OM last Saturday.

Which brings us back to that first question out in the car park, waiting for security to let us in to the media area.

What happened at Aston Villa on Saturday?

Dunk said: “We have got to perform a lot better than we did in the last game against Villa.

“If we come and play like that, it will be the same scoreline.

“We know we are coming here for a tough game but we are confident in ourselves we can go up against this tough side and we can come here and win.”