ELLIOTT Bennett faces a Friend turned foe on his away debut for Albion tonight.

The right winger's tussle with Millwall's on-loan left-back George Friend could have a major bearing on the result at The Den.

They were team-mates in Wolves' reserves last season and have now been thrust into opposition by Bennett's £200,000 switch to the Seagulls, hot on the heels of Friend's one-month move to the Lions.

Bennett, 20, made a promising first appearance in last Saturday's 4-2 defeat by Stockport at Withdean before he tired through a lack of competitive action and was substituted in the second half.

Albion midfielder Andrew Crofts said: "He is only a young lad and needs time to settle in but I have been really impressed.

"He looks like a really good player. Someone coming from Wolves is going to be good anway but he seems like a really nice lad who has got his feet firmly on the ground.

"We need to provide him with the ball as much as we can, because he is going to cause teams problems."

Crofts has warned Albion's makeshift defence to be wary of the movement of former Gillingham colleague Neil Harris for a Millwall side also depleted by injuries. They named only four substitutes for Tuesday's Carling Cup tie at West Ham.

Meanwhile, scholar Mitch Walker has signed a two-year professional contract with Albion. Walker was on the bench against Stockport last Saturday.