Three back and changes promised: Fulham v Brighton team news
Roberto De Zerbi has promised changes for the trip to Fulham from the Brighton team which exited the FA Cup on Wednesday night – including the return of three important players from injury.
Tariq Lamptey, Evan Ferguson and Joel Veltman are all available having missed the disappointing 1-0 defeat at Wolves in midweek – and all three could come straight into the starting XI.
“Lamptey, Veltman and Ferguson are available to play and I’m very happy, maybe we can start them,” De Zerbi said as the Albion look to win at Craven Cottage for the first time in seven years.
De Zerbi added that it would be important to change things against Fulham, but that his Brighton team selection would be designed to return from the capital with three points rather than with one eye on Roma on Thursday night.
“The focus is to win the game and we have to play with fresh players. I will change but not for Roma. We start to prepare for Roma on Sunday morning,” the Italian head coach added.
De Zerbi also confirmed that Danny Welbeck will play “part of the game.” Dat Guy had been a fitness doubt for the Wolves game, but ended up playing 45 minutes as a half time substitute with the Albion chasing the game after going 1-0 behind inside three minutes.
Jason Steele was culpable for gifting the Old Gold what proved to be their winner. De Zerbi was asked (again) about goalkeeper rotation, confirming that his policy of rotating Steele and Bart Verbruggen will continue.
You suspect the meltdown come the 2pm announcement of the Brighton team to take on Fulham will be quite spectacular if Steele retains his place.
Any Steele-related explosion of rage would be offset if either Julio Enciso or Valentin Barco were involved against the Cottagers.
The young South American duo were the Albion’s two best players at Molineux, despite only coming off the bench for 20 and 10 minutes respectively.
Whereas De Zerbi has previously said he wants Enciso back to help Brighton win the Europa League, the Seagulls head coach has played down the role Barco might play over the remainder of the Premier League season.
The plan seemingly was to let him adapt slowly to English football following his £7.8 million January transfer from Boca Juniors.
Plans though can change. A lively cameo against Wolves coupled with Kaoru Mitoma having his season ended prematurely by a back injury may lead De Zerbi to reconsider how quickly he wants to introduce Barco to the Premier League.
De Zerbi also spoke about Ansu Fati, who struggled leading the line as a false nine in the Wolves game. Not a great performance, but better than recent matches was how De Zerbi described it.
To watch the on loan Barcelona forward is to conclude he needs a run of games in his strongest left wing position if his expensive year at Brighton is going to be considered a success.
For De Zerbi, it is not Fati switching positions every week or not getting a run of starts which is the problem. The Albion manager instead believes a lack of confidence is the issue.
“He can push more, he can be stronger, he can play better, he can believe more in his abilities,” said De Zerbi was asked about Fati.
“He is a sensitive guy, he is a good guy and part of my work is to help this type of players to believe more in themselves, to show all his qualities. It is a challenge for me. To push your players, to show all qualities and not one part is a big challenge.”
“A big challenge is when you have a talent and Ansu Fati is a big talent. I think it is habit – push every day 100% on the pitch.”
Fati scoring a couple of goals at Fulham to end Brighton’s barren run of results when visiting Craven Cottage would be a good start to rebuilding that confidence, don’t you think?
