Chelsea will face a depleted Brighton side on Saturday as the Seagulls have been hit by a series of injuries in recent weeks. Brighton manager Graham Potter confirmed that Ansu Fati and Tariq Lamptey are the latest casualties and will miss the trip to Stamford Bridge1.
Fati, who joined Brighton on loan from Barcelona in the summer, suffered a hamstring injury in the 2-1 win over West Ham on Monday and is expected to be out for several weeks1. Lamptey, who has been sidelined since December 2020 with a knee problem, suffered a setback in his recovery and will need more time to regain full fitness1.
Potter said: “Ansu has a hamstring issue that will keep him out for a while. Tariq is still not ready, he had a little bit of a reaction after the last game he played. It’s frustrating for him and for us, but we have to be patient and careful with him.”
Brighton are already without Jakub Moder, who has been ruled out until the new year with a knee injury2, and Adam Lallana and Joel Veltman, who are doubtful for the Chelsea game3. Japanese international Kaoru Mitoma is also expected to miss out3.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have no new injury concerns ahead of the game, according to manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Blues boss said that Mateo Kovacic, who was substituted in the 4-1 win over Salzburg on Wednesday, has no problem with his calf and is available for selection4.
Pochettino also gave positive updates on Benoit Badiashile and Carney Chukwuemeka, who are in partial team training and could be involved in the Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton next week5. However, the Argentine confirmed that Kalidou Koulibaly, who has missed the last two games with a thigh injury, is unlikely to feature on Saturday5.
Chelsea have a long list of absentees, including Reece James, Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante, Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Trevoh Chalobah and Andreas Christensen, who are all continuing their rehabilitation programmes56.
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 10 games in all competitions and are top of the Premier League table with 26 points from 10 games. Brighton are sixth with 18 points from 10 games and have lost only once this season. The last time the two teams met, Chelsea won 3-1 at the Amex Stadium in January 20226.
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