Liverpool, beware – the big bit of Brighton team news ahead of the champions visiting the Amex is that Kaoru Mitoma is fit after recovering from an ankle injury.
Mitoma picked up the problem in the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal. Given how many Gunners players went to ground needing treatment that night, the irony of the only person coming away with an actual injury being an Albion player is not lost on anyone.
It ruled Mitoma out of the 1-0 win at Sunderland last Saturday. Brighton did not overly miss their Japanese star as Yankuba Minteh came in for his first start in three months and provided the only goal of the game.
Taking on Liverpool though is obviously a different kettle of fish – even if you never know what what version of the Redmen will turn up these days.
The return of Mitoma is therefore a big boost to the Albion facing opposition whom he always seems to play well against.
Mitoma has scored three times past Liverpool, including in the final home game of last season when Brighton defeated the newly crowned champions 3-2 in an Amex thriller.
Other team news for Brighton against Liverpool
There was little else for Fabian Hurzeler to report in his Friday morning press conference in terms of Brighton team news before facing Luverpool.
“Mitoma will be back and nobody else is out,” he said. Attention therefore turned to other matters beyond injuries – like the contract situation of Mitoma and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Both will enter the final 12 months of their current deals this summer. Hurzeler said: “You can be sure that we are there in a very transparent exchange with the players.”
The Youngest Permanent Manager in Premier League History was then asked more directly whether he felt Van Hecke and Mitoma would commit to Brighton.
“In football, like we all know, everything is possible. I think both know that I really enjoy working with them.”
“They are both very important players for this club. We don’t have to hide this opinion. But you can only impact certain things and there are always two sides. The club side and the player side.”
“I think they all know what they have playing for Brighton. They all know that Brighton gave them the opportunity to develop, gave them an opportunity to play on the highest level in the best league in the world. Therefore let us see what happens.”
Doesn’t sound great, does it?
Mo Salah injured for Liverpool
In more positive news, Brighton will not have to face the injured Mo Salah when Liverpool come to town, as confirmed by Arne Slot in his own Friday morning press conference.
Salah was taken off with a muscle injury during the Redmen’s 4-0 win in the Champions League over Galatasaray on Wednesday night.
Slot said: “He will not be available on Saturday. The positive for us is that we are heading into an international break; the negative for Egypt is that he won’t be able to play for them.”
“In the past, Mo has shown he can recover faster than most in similar situations because he takes great care of his body.”
“But there are only two weeks left before the end of the break, so let us hope he’ll be back by then.”
Salah has plundered a pretty phenomenal 11 goals and 10 assists against the Albion over the years. Despite this impressive record, he is still only the second-best Egyptian footballer to grace the Amex pitch after Adam El-Abd.
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