The potential strength of Albion's Championship challenge is about to become a little clearer ahead of the next international break.

They have three fixtures between now and then, beginning against promoted fast-starters Barnsley at the Amex tomorrow.

Two tough-looking away matches follow, at Ipswich on Tuesday and Sheffield Wednesday four days later, before the second interruption of the season.

Tough in terms of last season, when Ipswich just missed out on the play-offs and Sheffield Wednesday lost in the final after seeing off the injury-plagued Seagulls.

Ipswich are currently 11th, the Owls further down the table in 14th. Albion's win at Burton last Saturday left them seventh, a point and three places below Barnsley.

When does all this start to matter, provide a barometer of what might happen in the months ahead? On the evidence of last season, once Albion have returned to Hillsborough on their revenge mission.

They will have played 11 games by then, more or less a quarter of the season. At the corresponding stage 12 months ago they were among 16 clubs whose finishing position altered by no more than three places.

All six of the teams involved in automatic promotion or the play-offs were in the top nine, five of them in the top seven.

Four sides - Cardiff, Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn and Bolton - ended up in exactly the same spot.

There are exceptions, big winners and losers. Preston improved from 22nd to 11th, Brentford from 19th to ninth.

Reading's fall was the most obvious. They plummeted from second in early October to 17th in May.

Birmingham dropped from fourth to tenth, Fulham from 13th to 20th and MK Dons from 16th to 23rd.

In general terms, however, the table 11 matches in is likely to be a reasonable guide, considering the finishing positions for two-thirds of the division shifted only marginally and the contenders to go up were established.

Where Albion are by then will depend on how they fare in Sussex, Suffolk and South Yorkshire.

Changes to the team are inevitable with three games crammed into a short period and plenty of travelling, although nobody in the 'reserve' line-up against Reading on Tuesday in the League Cup offered a compelling case for inclusion.

The headache for Chris Hughton is a combination which will provide more of a cutting edge.

He has already tried four different partnerships in the opening eight games in the Championship - Glenn Murray and Tomer Hemed, Murray and Sam Baldock, Hemed and Anthony Knockaert, Hemed and Jamie Murphy.

He may revert back against Barnsley to last season's most-used link-up, Hemed and Baldock.

A defensive change could be forced upon Hughton over the course of the next three matches.

Gaetan Bong has already been cautioned four times. Another and the left-The Argus: back will be banned for a game.

With Liam Rosenior ruled out by injury, that means Seb Pocognoli (above) could be pressed into league service prematurely following a debut against Reading which hinted at both his quality but also long period of inactivity with parent club West Brom.

Suspensions are also a danger sooner rather than later for key figures Lewis Dunk and Anthony Knockaert. Both are on three bookings.

Where Albion are in the table after the next three games is of greater significance to their long-term prospects than the possible short-term loss of regulars.

It will not be definitive but it could be instructive.

Position + points after 11 games last season (change to finishing position in brackets)

1 Brighton 25 (-2)

2 Reading 21 (-15)

3 Middlesbrough 21 (+1)

4 Birmingham 21 (-6)

5 Burnley 21 (+4)

6 Hull 19 (+2)

7 Derby 17 (+2)

8 Cardiff 17 (0)

9 Sheff Wed 16 (+3)

10 Ipswich 16 (+3)

11 Wolves 15 (+3)

12 QPR 15 (0)

13 Fulham 13 (-7)

14 Forest 12 (+2)

15 Blackburn 11 (0)

16 MK Dons 11 (-7)

17 Huddersfield 11 (-2)

18 Leeds 11 (+5)

19 Brentford 11 (+10)

20 Charlton 10 (-2)

21 Bristol City 10 (+3)

22 Preston 8 (+11)

23 Rotherham 8 (+2)

24 Bolton 8 (0)