Brighton & Hove Albion have generally had a brilliant start to the new Premier League season.
Sure, there have been some lows, such as the 6-1 defeat to Aston Villa and their recent draw with Fulham, but they have been more than balanced out with some spectacular highs, including their 3-1 win against Newcastle United and their 3-1 win away to Manchester United.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side have seemingly just picked up where they left off last season and look like they could beat anyone in the league on their day.
With a place in the top four a real possibility and an equally real chance of winning the Europa League, the Italian will need to keep his squad injury-free, something he is struggling to do as things stand.
With that in mind, Football FanCast is here to keep you updated on all the latest injury news coming out of the Amex ahead of their game against Everton on Saturday.
Latest Brighton & Hove Albion injury news
Brighton & Hove Albion currently have six players sidelined through injury – some serious and some less so.
There is good news surrounding Tariq Lamptey and Pervis Estupinan, as they could both be back in action within the next week or so.
Unfortunately, that is about all the good news Brighton fans will get regarding injuries.
Danny Welbeck and Solly March are set for extended periods out after picking up a hamstring and knee injury, respectively, in their game against Manchester City.
|
Player Name |
Injury |
Date Injured |
Expected Return Date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Solly March |
Knee |
21/10/2023 |
Unknown |
|
Danny Welbeck |
Hamstring |
21/10/2023 |
Unknown |
|
Tariq Lamptey |
Muscular Injury |
5/10/2023 |
4/11/2023 |
|
Pervis Estupinan |
Muscular Injury |
Early October |
4/11/2023 |
|
Julio Enciso |
Knee |
23/10/2023 |
Unknown |
|
Jakub Moder |
Knee |
April 2022 |
Unknown |
Solly March
Knee
Solly March was a late casualty in Brighton’s Premier League game against Manchester City last weekend, as he appeared to bend his knee the wrong way in the dying embers of the game.
The severity of the injury was immediately apparent, and the 29-year-old had to be taken off the pitch with a stretcher.
After the match, De Zerbi delivered the news fans were dreading: “Solly unfortunately is a very, very tough injury, very important injury. We will lose him for a long time.”
Only time will tell whether we see March play again this season.
Danny Welbeck
Hamstring
What’s the saying, when it rains, it pours?
That’s undoubtedly how the Seagulls will be feeling at the moment, as alongside March, Danny Welbeck is also set for an extended period on the sidelines after suffering what looks to be a severe injury in the same game against Manchester City.
The former England international went down in the 16th minute, holding the back of his thigh and had to be replaced by Evan Ferguson for the rest of the match.
Speaking after the game, De Zerbi confirmed that Welbeck would be out for “a long time.”
Tariq Lamptey
Muscular Injury/Knock
Tariq Lamptey played out of his skin against Marseille when he was called in to replace the injured Pervis Estupinan, but he might have put in too much effort as he picked up a knock against the French side and has been out with a ‘muscular injury’ since.
However, in good news, it seems like he is almost ready to return, with De Zerbi saying as much before their game with Fulham last week: “I hope there can be a chance for Sunday, but I don’t know yet.
“We are waiting for them and I don’t want to take a risk with them, especially in that position on the pitch. We are suffering too much to take a risk.”
While last weekend clearly came too soon for the Ghanaian international, he could well make a return to the bench, if not the starting XI this weekend.
Pervis Estupinan
Muscular Injury
After a fantastic start to the season, Brighton broke the bad news ahead of their clash with Marseille that Ecuadorian full-back Pervis Estupinan had suffered a “muscular injury.”
De Zerbi confirmed that the 25-year-old would have to spend some time on the sidelines, saying: “He’s injured and can’t play for a month. He’s an important player we are losing, but we can play in that position with Tariq Lamptey, Igor Julio and other players. We have to be ready to change. We have to be good enough to get the result without important players.”
In good news, it would appear that the manager’s estimation of a month out was pretty close to the truth, as in his press conference ahead of the game against Fulham, he delivered some good news: “I hope there can be a chance for Sunday, but I don’t know yet.
“We are waiting for them and I don’t want to take a risk with them, especially in that position on the pitch. We are suffering too much to take a risk.”
He didn’t make it onto the pitch on Sunday, but the fact that De Zerbi thought there was a chance suggests that Estupinan could make a return very soon, possibly this weekend.
Julio Enciso
Knee
Julio Enciso suffered “trauma to his left knee” during a Brighton training session in late August and has been out of action since.
In the immediate aftermath of the injury, De Zerbi delivered the news fans were dreading, confirming that the talented Paraguayan would be out for “a longer period.”
The Italian manager was full of encouragement for his player just a few days later, however, saying: “I made a video call with my staff, and he was good.
“Sad for the injury because Julio lives for football, and he loves football 24 hours per day. But I explained to him it is a normal situation in football.
“He has to work to be back like the Wolverhampton game.”
Jakub Moder
Knee Injury
While Brighton have certainly had a rough time regarding injuries of late, the fans do have some good news to celebrate: Jakub Moder’s return.
The Polish defender suffered a serious knee injury back in April 2022 and was out of action for 19 months, up until his return with the club’s under-21s on Sunday.
The 30-year-old was only able to play about 30 minutes, but based on the comments of Shannon Ruth, the side’s boss, he could be back in action in no time: “I said in the changing room, he [Moder] is our biggest positive from today (Sunday). For him to be back on the grass after what he has been through is really good to see.
“All credit to the medical team and rehab team because I thought he looked sharp when he came back in. He has had a couple of training sessions with us, and he has shown glimpses of the quality player that we know he is and I am sure when he is back fully fit he will be a real asset to the first team.”
De Zerbi spoke highly of the player recently and indicated a possible return to first-team action in the new year: “I think he can become important for us, especially if we play a lot of games after January.”
