Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler is optimistic of receiving several fitness boosts in time for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Nottingham Forest at the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls will certainly be without Igor Julio (hamstring), Jason Steele (shoulder), James Milner (thigh) and Ferdi Kadioglu (foot) for the weekend’s game, in addition to Tariq Lamptey, who sustained a serious ankle problem earlier this month.
However, Hurzeler recently expressed hope that all of Lewis Dunk (abdominal), Matt O’Riley (knee), Solly March (unspecified) and Joel Veltman (ankle) would be fit to return straight after the international break, and both the former and latter should be in with good chances of starting if so.
Veltman would be a natural replacement for the stricken Lamptey at right-back, while Adam Webster may have to cede his spot to a fit-again Dunk, who will also link arms with Jan Paul van Hecke, Pervis Estupinan and Bart Verbruggen at the back.
Jack Hinshelwood started in defence during the recent 2-2 stalemate with Manchester City, but Veltman’s potential return could now see the midfielder utilised in the engine room with Carlos Baleba instead.
Fresh from scoring the winner against Newcastle United in a dramatic quarter-final, Danny Welbeck might have played his way into a start up front, as his physicality could come in handy against Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic.
Georginio Rutter may be the unfortunate soul sacrificed to make room for Welbeck, as Joao Pedro drops into a deeper role as part of the supporting cast alongside Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Baleba, Hinshelwood; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
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