Craig Hinton will return to Bristol Rovers' starting line-up against Brighton – still not knowing whether he will find himself out of work in a few weeks' time.

This evening's clash with relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion at the Memorial Stadium is hardly a make-or-break outing for the central defender, having chalked up more than 150 league outings for the Pirates since his move from Kidderminster in the summer of 2004.

But as one of a clutch of Bristol Rovers players out of contract this summer, Hinton knows that another typically reliable performance against the South Coast club would do no harm to his chances of extending his stay in BS7.

Although he has started recent games on the bench, the dismissal of Steve Elliott near the end of Saturday's 4-2 win over Millwall has opened the door for Hinton.

"I thought things would probably stay as they have been over the final games of the season, but Steve getting sent off has given me a chance," said Hinton.

"It's important to be in the side and playing well to justify your place at the club. I think I have played enough times for people to know what I'm about."

Coach Paul Trollope says decisions are still to be made on players whose deals are up at the end of the current campaign, and Hinton acknowledges he is still uncertain whether he will continue to have a future with the club.

"I don't know yet what's happening. I thought I might – and I've asked the question a few times – but it's just a question of waiting to find out. A few of the lads are in the same boat," he said.

"Everybody probably thinks being a footballer is a nice job and everything's rosy – but there are people out of contract with young families who don't know where they are going to be in a few weeks' time."

Hinton has been troubled by tendonitis in his knee in recent months, which has limited the amount of training he has been able to do.

"It's sore and I was going to have some injections this week, but now that has been put back, so we'll see what happens after this game," he said.

"Ideally I would probably have had the injections one or two months ago and then rested it. But the situation with Danny Coles being out for the season meant I needed to be available to play if needed."

Rovers fielded an attacking line-up in their weekend win, with two wingers at full-back and three strikers.

"It was probably the most attacking formation we've played for a while and it paid dividends," said Hinton.

"Hopefully it will give us confidence going into tonight because Brighton are fighting for their lives.

"They have got to come at us because they need three points, and we feel we play well on the counter-attack.

"We didn't start this season very well at all – the lads know that – but then we picked up after Christmas.

"There was a chance of making the play-offs, which unfortunately hasn't happened, but we have done better than we did last season."

Trollope said he has no worries about the decision to recall Hinton .

"We know what Craig will give us," he said. "He has been a good, solid professional for this football club and he's great to have around the dressing room. I have no qualms about him going straight back into the side."