Joao Pedro could make his long-awaited return from injury for Brighton in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.
The Brazilian forward has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during last month’s feisty draw with Nottingham Forest having only just returned from another knock sustained on international duty.
Pedro has missed Brighton’s last five matches across all competitions, with Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler urging patience with his recovery with the club understandably reluctant to rush one of their most important players back into action too soon.
The former Watford star remained absent on Wednesday night as Brighton’s late comeback attempts were thwarted by Liverpool in a 3-2 home defeat in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, but he could yet play a part when the two sides clash again in the top-flight at Anfield this weekend having now resumed training.
Brighton also have summer signing Matt O’Riley back on the grass after his serious ankle injury suffered soon after joining from Celtic, while they will have to further assess Lewis Dunk after the captain did not feature against Liverpool, having suffered a calf problem during the warm-up ahead of last weekend’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Wolves and been withdrawn from the squad.
Brighton will remain without the likes of Adam Webster and ex-Liverpool stalwart James Milner on Merseyside, while Yankuba Minteh has not played since the comeback win over Tottenham earlier in October.
Solly March is continuing to build up his fitness after more than a year on the sidelines, while the Seagulls will hope that full-back Ferdi Kadioglu is able to recover from a foot issue that forced him off at half-time of the Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool.
“We have to see how Lewis is today,” Hurzeler told reporters at Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “We have to see also, Matt O’Riley is back in training, when he he will be ready for potential playing in the squad.
“Also Joao Pedro will be back. Some players will be back on the pitch. It’s not that bad, so hopefully he will also be an option for Saturday.”
Pushed on if Pedro would definitely be fit to face Liverpool this weekend, Hurzeler added: “We have to see, he’s coming back after a long injury, if he will be an option. But he’s back in training, yes.”
