Bolton vs Brighton

Albion will hope to maintain their unbeaten run as the play-off race really begins to heat up with a trip to in-form Bolton.

A lacklustre display at Bristol City in midweek did at least yield a point and another clean sheet as the Seagulls opened the gap on 7th to 2 points. However, a season-ending injury to top-scorer Craig Mackail-Smith has left the side with limited options up-front, and will only serve to increase the pressure on Leo Ulloa to produce the goods.

Following a slow start, ex-Palace boss Dougie Freedman has gradually gotten his Trotters squad playing to their full potential, and 4 wins on the spin has seen them claw their way up the table and into the play-off picture. Plenty at stake here then.

Gus Poyet admits he is expecting a different proposition altogether to the one his side faced when Bolton visited the Amex earlier in the season.

He told seagulls.co.uk, "Bolton have had a good run of games and I'm sure there will be a different atmosphere around their club now. They were in a worrying situation at one point and I'd imagine we'll be playing against a different team on Saturday.

"They have the players to be in the top six because the quality of their squad is unbelievable.

"They have experience, they are playing at home and they are winning so it will be one of the hardest games for us. Having said that, it's another great game for us to play."

Hungarian keeper Adam Bogdan is expected to return after missing the win over Blackburn in midweek with a minor groin injury.

Freedman will be without full-back Tyrone Mears (blood infection) whilst midfielders Keith Andrews (Achilles) and Mark Davies (knee) remain sidelined.

After a lull of first team action at West Brom, the ex-Rochdale defender has continued his goalscoring exploits with Bolton. With a knack for getting on the end of set-pieces, Dawson has already bagged 4 goals in just 7 appearances in the Championship - so the Seagulls defence will need to ensure he is marked tightly.

Poyet is without top scorer Craig Mackail-Smith after he ruptured an Achilles in midweek, whilst left-back Wayne Bridge remains a doubt.

Midfielder Andrew Crofts is fit to return for the first time since January, whilst playmaker Vicente may also feature.

Another centre-back to keep an eye on, Upson has been a commanding presence at the back for the Albion since his arrival on loan from Stoke. Indeed, the side have kept 4 clean sheets from the 7 games he has started, with the ex-England international showcasing all his top flight experience with some superb rearguard displays.

Albion were somehow held to a 1-1 draw despite a dominant performance in the reverse fixture - David Ngog's late equaliser cancelling out Bruno's opener.

The last meeting in Lancashire occurred over 20 years ago, with Albion edging out the Trotters by a single goal in the 1992/93 Division Two season.

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