Albion fooked for forwards in FA Cup: Wolves v Brighton team news
If Brighton are to return to Wembley in the FA Cup this season, they will have to beat Wolves naming a team potentially containing no strikers.
Danny Welbeck faces a late fitness test ahead of the fifth round clash at Molineux, whilst Evan Ferguson is ruled out with an ankle injury.
Top scorer Joao Pedro meanwhile remains at least two to three weeks away from returning after a hamstring injury.
It is not only through the middle where the Albion lack options. Roberto De Zerbi confirmed in his pre-match press conference before Wolves that Kaoru Mitoma is unlikely to feature in a Brighton team again this season thanks to a back injury.
The Japanese Bullet Train missed the 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday with the problem, which De Zerbi said had first been flagged before the trip to Sheffield United the previous week.
Mitoma went onto play 76 minutes at Bramall Lane. He was on the end of some particularly rough treatment, including the horror tackle which earned Mason Holgate a 13th minute straight red card.
How wise it was to play Mitoma against the Blades if he was already showing signs of injury is now an uncomfortable question for De Zerbi and the Albion medical department.
But back to FA Cup matters. Who leads the line in the likely absence of Welbeck and the definite unavailability of Ferguson and Pedro?
Ansu Fati has been used before as a false nine by De Zerbi and would seem the most obvious candidate – presuming he is fit enough to start coming back off a three month injury layoff.
Julio Enciso is another option but fits into the same boat as Fati in terms of being a square peg in a round hole and needing his game time carefully managed.
Or De Zerbi could throw an absolute curveball in his Brighton team selection to face Wolves. A full debut for Under 21s striker Mark O’Mahony, perhaps?
It is not just up front and out wide where De Zerbi has a selection headache. Billy Gilmour is suspended following his straight red card against Everton on Saturday.
One of Carlos Baleba or Jakub Moder will presumably take over from Gilmour in midfield. Whoever gets the nod has a golden opportunity to stake a claim for future involvement with Gilmour banned for a further two domestic matches.
The other fresh injury doubt for the Albion is Joel Veltman, who like Welbeck faces a fitness test. If Veltman does not make it, Tariq Lamptey could find himself starting a fifth consecutive game for the first time since Winston Churchill was prime minister.
Andrew Madley will take charge of proceedings at Molinuex, which could be good news for Brighton. He was the man in the middle when the Seagulls beat Wolves 4-1 in the Black Country back in August.
It could, of course, also be bad news. Mr Madley happened to be in the middle for Brighton’s next trip to the Midlands… the 6-1 hammering at the hands of Aston Villa six weeks later.
