Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler has delivered the latest update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final tie with Nottingham Forest at the Amex Stadium.
As many as nine players missed the Seagulls’ entertaining 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the Premier League prior to the international break, including captain Lewis Dunk who has been sidelined since the beginning of February with a rib injury.
Matt O’Riley (knee) and Solly March (unspecified) were also absent, but all three players are available to return to the matchday squad this weekend.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Hurzeler said: “Lewis Dunk and Matt O’Riley will be back and hopefully they will both be options for the game. Let’s wait and see after the session today. Solly March should [also] be an option.”
However, full-back Tariq Lamptey “will be out for a longer time” as he continues to recover from an ankle injury he sustained in training prior to the international break.
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“Tariq has an ankle injury. I think there’s a chance that we will see him back [before the end of the season]. He is a good healer, I have a big trust in my medical staff and in Tariq’s mindset to be back on the pitch as quickly as possible. There’s a chance that he will be back in several weeks.”
Saturday’s game will also come too soon for Joel Veltman (ankle), but the defender is closing in on a return to first-team action.
“Joel Veltman is doing rehab, but he won’t be an option. I think he will be back in some days,” Hurzeler added.
Mitoma, Estupinan, Pedro, Gomez should be “fine” for Forest clash
Four other players who remain sidelined are Ferdi Kadioglu (toe), Igor Julio (thigh), James Milner (hamstring) and Jason Steele (shoulder), while Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro, Pervis Estupinan and Diego Gomez are all expected to be involved against Forest.
Hurzeler has revealed that Mitoma picked up a “small issue” on international duty with Japan, while South American trio Pedro, Estupinan and Gomez have all returned to Brighton after representing Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay respectively earlier this week.
As quoted by SussexWorld, Hurzeler said: “So far so good. “I didn’t see them [Pedro, Estupinan and Gomez], but what I heard they are quite in a good mood.
“Of course there are small issues, especially with Mitoma after his first game, but I think that they [all] will be fine and they [all] can start the game.”
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Hurzeler: ‘Nuno has made a winning machine at Forest’
Brighton are looking to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the second time in three seasons and keep their hopes of winning their first major piece of silverware alive.
However, the Seagulls suffered a chastening 7-0 defeat against Saturday’s opponents Nottingham Forest in the Premier League almost two months ago, and Hurzeler has acknowledged how “difficult” it will be for his team to come out on top this time around.
Sharing his thoughts on the work of Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, Hurzeler said: “He’s made a winning machine. They have players who have quality and a style that fits completely to the profiles of the players. That’s something special. That shows his quality.
“It’s very difficult to beat them. They can defend very compactly. They are very good in transition. They’re very good at set-pieces. They’re very good in breaking the rhythm of the opponent.
“He has built a team with players who know how to win Premier League games, who know how to win an FA Cup game. So it’s massive what he did, and he deserves a lot of compliments.”
Since losing at Forest on February 1, Brighton have responded well and have put together a seven-game unbeaten run, including FA Cup fourth and fifth-round wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United respectively, while Hurzeler has been nominated for March’s Premier League Manager of the Month award.
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