2025 Oct 28, 19:37
Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma is set to miss up to six weeks of action due to an ankle injury, ruling him out of the upcoming Asian Cup. The 26-year-old was forced off the field during the draw with Crystal Palace, and left on crutches. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi confirmed that Mitoma will be unavailable for around four, five, or six weeks. With regards to his participation in the Asian Cup, De Zerbi stated that he believes Mitoma will not be able to take part. This is a blow for the Japan squad as they aim to defend their title in the tournament, which takes place from January 12 to February 10 in Qatar. Winger Simon Adingra is also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, as confirmed by De Zerbi
Adingra, who also went off injured against Palace, is expected to miss the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast due to a hamstring injury. De Zerbi estimated a recovery time of four to five weeks for Adingra. Brighton already has several players out injured, including Joel Veltman, Ansu Fati, Julio Enciso, Solly March, Tariq Lamptey, and Adam Webster. However, the team will be boosted by the return of Pervis Estupinan, who is fit enough to be included in the match day squad for the upcoming game against Tottenham after a month out with a muscle injury. De Zerbi confirmed that Estupinan will be available for the bench and also mentioned that midfielder Adam Lallana could feature. The 25-year-old full-back, who had a muscular problem in October, made a brief appearance in November's Europa League match against Ajax before being forced off after just 12 minutes
He has not played in the Premier League since September's defeat to Aston Villa. Overall, Brighton is facing a number of injury concerns, but they can still count on the return of Estupinan as they continue to navigate the challenges of the Premier League.