Alex Tettey returned to training on Thursday in a bid to prove his fitness for Brighton's televised Championship visit to Norwich City on Friday.

Tettey travelled to Preston but was not involved for the Easter Monday 3-1 success at Deepdale after struggling with a back complaint which has hindered him over the league run-in.

The combative midfielder is unlikely to start against Chris Hughton's title-chasing Seagulls with Timm Klose definitely ruled out following a knee problem suffered against Fulham on Good Friday.

Irvine, however, provided a positive bulletin on the Swiss international's fitness.

'Timm is still injured but a lot better and making progress. We hope he will be in contention before the end of the season,' said Irvine, speaking at Colney. 'Alex Tettey trained today. That was his first day back training, so he has done that and seems to have come through okay. We'll monitor that over the next few hours and make sure he is fit enough. He has had a bit of a back spasm in recent weeks and getting patched up to go out and play. It just became too much, no doubt because of the number of games in a short period of time. We kept him away from training for as long as we could. In terms of the other boys nothing else from Easter. Matt Jarvis and Louis Thompson of course are still injured, so it has been big numbers for training.'

Irvine and City's squad is well aware Brighton will arrive in Norfolk hunting one more win to complete a campaign which will end with promotion to the Premier League.

'They have been excellent. They deserve lots of praise and lots of congratulation for what they have achieved so far but I am quite sure Chris (Hughton) will have been talking to them, probably since they had their celebrations that evening, about now going for the title,' said the Scot. 'That will be plenty of motivation for them. I have absolutely no doubt now they will be desperate to win the title. When you are competing with people for promotion that is the most important thing.

'If you had said to them months ago you could have automatic promotion but not the title they would have snatched your hands off but once you have that promotion you become greedy and quite right. They will be ready. The season could finish in a disappointing way for them if they don't go on and win the title from the position they are in now.'