Dean White reckons the arrival of Arron Davies will give everyone at Albion a lift – and one member of the squad in particular.

Davies is the second Nottingham Forest player on loan to the Seagulls until the end of the year.

The first, fellow midfielder Matt Thornhill, has failed to command a regular place in the team so far.

Assistant manager White believes the signing of Davies has the dual benefit of aiding Albion and his Forest colleague.

“Russell (Slade) knows him really well and it’s always good to have a new face in,” White said. “He is a good player.

“I remember him as a thorn in our side when he was at Yeovil so, when he became available, it was a bit of a no-brainer really as far as I am concerned.

“He is friends with Matt. Matt is settling down quite nicely anyway but he is a young lad.

“This is the first time he has been out on loan and he is going to be a good player, I’m convinced of that. He will have a big part to play this season at some point.”

Albion’s clash with Wycombe Wanderers at Withdean today reunites long-serving White with former Albion manager Peter Taylor.

“It will be nice to see Peter again,” he said. “I haven’t seen him for a little while.

“No doubt he will come down here and try to upset us and put a team out that will be difficult to beat.

“He’ll probably play 4-5-1 and it’s going to be hard to break them down but we look as if we can score goals at the moment.

“It’s just a case of making sure we are tight at the back. That is the most important thing, that we don’t concede, because I think we are always going to score.”

Albion were unbeatable at Withdean in 2001-2002, when Taylor guided them to the title.

It is a different story nowadays. They have failed to win 13 of their last 17 league games at home.

White said: “I was trying to think back the other day when it changed. It was when we got promoted into the Championship.

“Obviously we were never going to have the same sort of record then. I also think that in the first couple of years when people came here it was all new.

“They have got used to it now and other teams and players know what to expect but we have got to forget about all that and just go and get three points.”

Albion seek their first victory of the campaign in the continuing absence of Jake Wright (hamstring) and Jim McNulty (ankle).

Hopes that at least one of them would be back to fill the problem left-back spot today have been dashed. Both are yet to resume full training.

Unsettled striker Glenn Murray has returned to the fold following his latest hernia operation.

The surgery coincided with the closing stages of the transfer window, wrecking for now any chance of a move back north.

White said: “It’s an ongoing saga with Glenn but he is a good player and, if he is fit, he will be a real asset to this club. It’s important that we get him fit.

“He has just got to get his head down. He is a professional footballer – this is his job.

“He knows that. He has got to get himself fit, get in the team and do what he is good at. There is no doubt that when he does what he can do he is a proper player.

“He’s fine in himself. I think he is really relieved he has had the hernia done.

“I spoke to him beforehand and he was just hoping it is the end of it.

“That has been like an ongoing saga as well since he has been here really.

“Let us hope for his sake and ours that he is over that now and then we will start to see the real Glenn Murray.”