The Holland centre-back is set to make his 100th Premier League appearance as he returns to East Lancashire.
Van Hecke is expected to team up with Olivier Boscagli at the back in the away game with Burnley (3pm).
Skipper Lewis Dunk is ruled out as he starts a two-game ban for yellow cards accumulated.
Van Hecke enjoyed a highly beneficial season at nearby Blackburn Rovers in 2021-22, when he became the first loan signing to win the club’s player of the season prize.
He has continued to make great strides with the Seagulls.
Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler said: “His improvement is impressive. He already played on a high level last season, but this season he made another step.
“He improved his consistency. He improved, for me, especially out of possession, how he iss committed to defend forward, how he uses body in a very effective way to defend against very athletic players.
“He is very good in keeping a structure in a defensive shape. And, on top of that, he's a great leader.
“He is leading by performance, he is a role model for that because, every training session, he’s 100%, every game he’s 100%.
“He has all the characteristics inside of him to be a future leader for this club.”
Van Hecke is committed to Albion for one more season as things stand.
The club expect to talk things over with his fellow centre-back Adam Webster this summer.
Webster remains in rehab after he suffered a serious knee injury in Marbella during pre-season last summer.
Hurzeler said: “He helped us a lot last season, especially when we had some injuries.
“His injury in the summer was very unlucky for us.
“We know what we have in Adam Webster, the club knows it and, in the end, when we come to summer, we will make a decision together that is best for him and what is best for the club.”