Albion are breathing a sigh of relief that Anthony Knockaert has not suffered long-term ankle damage.

But their French star faces a race against time to recover from a ligament injury for the Seagulls' Premier League debut against Manchester City at the Amex on August 12.

Winger Knockaert was hurt ten minutes into last Friday's opening friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf in Austria.

He left the ground on crutches with the ankle encased in a boot, sparking fears he would miss a chunk of the season.

Boss Chris Hughton revealed to The Argus today: "When he did it you always think the worst.

"He has got a ligament (injury) but it's slight, which is good.

"We're very hopeful that he will make the season. The good thing is he has got a good bit under his belt, the first tough two-and-a-half weeks of training, so at this moment we are probably looking at about a three-week period.

"It gives him a chance. We will need to assess how it is over this period. It will either be very good news or take a little bit longer. The very good news is that it's nothing serious, but it needs time to settle down."

Albion go to Knockaert's old club Leicester for their first away game a week after Manchester City's visit.

Hughton added: "He knows it's something that is not going to keep him out of for a long time, so he's fine.

"He is one of our quality players and in the Premier League we will need as much quality as possible. He was so good for us last season that he will very much be looking forward again to the challenge this season."