Jason De Vos remains Town's big worry ahead of Sunday's final day showdown at Brighton (Sky Sports Two, 1pm). The Blues need to better Wigan's result against Reading to secure automatic promotion to the Premiership.

De Vos has been suffering with a virus throughout the week and looks likely to miss out. The Canadian's central defensive partner Richard Naylor has also been unwell and has had an achilles injury but is expected to be OK to face the Seagulls.

If the former Wigan skipper is absent, Drissa Diallo will come into the side alongside Naylor who will complete a 100% appearance record in league games this season. Otherwise the Blues are likely to be unchanged from the side which defeated Crewe 5-1 last weekend.

Manager Joe Royle says his side need to ignore events elsewhere and concentrate on beating Brighton: “We're all hoping that Wigan do us a favour by dropping points, but first and foremost we must make sure we do ourselves a favour. That means going to Brighton and beating the Seagulls.”

Defender David Unsworth plays the final game of his loan spell with Town, while a number of other players could be in action for the Blues for the final time. Pablo Couñago is one of several members of the squad out of contract in the summer.

Albion need a point against the Blues to ensure their Championship status, although a defeat for Crewe against Coventry, managed by former Brighton boss Micky Adams, will also see them to safety.

The Seagulls are sweating on the fitness of top scorer Adam Virgo who has a cartilage problem. Boss Mark McGhee says he is in with a chance of facing the Blues: "We'll leave it until Sunday before we make that decision. The important thing is that last week it was impossible for him to play, and this week it is possible. That's an improvement.

"But at the moment I'm not relying on him. I've got other plans in my mind, but if he decides he can play on Sunday, then he will play."

McGhee is also likely to be able to call on former Millwall striker Mark McCammon who has been out lately with a back spasm.

Sunday sees Darren Currie return to his former club, having joined the Blues for £250,000 at the end of 2004. McGhee says his side would already be sure of survival had Currie remained in Sussex: "Darren was our most creative player. I think Darren would have been a big influence and would have had the ability to get us even more points, particularly during the period over Christmas when we became a better team and really started getting results.

"We have adjusted around the loss of Darren, but we would be safe by now if he had stayed.”

Royle will hope that his old friend Steve Coppell, who attended the same Liverpool school, can take points off Wigan at the JJB Stadium. Reading currently sit seventh in the table equal on points with sixth-placed West Ham but having scored fewer goals.

The Royals will want to gain a victory to replace the Hammers or even Derby — ahead of them by three points at present — in the play-offs.

Town's coaching staff will keep an eye on proceedings at Wigan via a TV monitor by the Withdean Stadium dug-outs.

Sunday's referee is Michael Jones of Cheshire who has shown 82 yellow cards and seven red cards in 35 games this season. His last Town game was the 1-1 home draw with Reading in September.

Likely squad: Davis, Price, Wilnis, Unsworth, Richards, De Vos, Naylor, Diallo, Magilton, Miller, Horlock, Westlake, Currie, Kuqi, Bent, Couñago, Scowcroft.

Photo: Action Images

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