Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi expects to be without wingers Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra for between four to six weeks in the latest blows to his injury-hit squad.
Mitoma suffered an ankle problem during last week’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, with Adingra damaging his hamstring at Selhurst Park.
The pair are among up to 10 Seagulls players set to miss Thursday’s match at home to Premier League high-flyers Tottenham Hotspur.
“Tomorrow we have more or less 10 injured players, maybe eight but (the other) two players can’t start the game,” Brighton boss De Zerbi told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
“Mitoma is one of them. We lost Kaoru for around six weeks — four, five, six weeks. Adingra, I think he needs four, five weeks (recovery). Tomorrow, no Mitoma, no Adingra.”
Japan international Mitoma is now a doubt for the Asian Cup, which begins on January 12, while Ivory Coast forward Adingra’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts the following day, uncertain.
South coast side Brighton, currently an impressive ninth in the table, will also be without Ansu Fati, Tariq Lamptey, Adam Webster, Solly March, Julio Enciso and Joel Veltman for the visit of Spurs, while midfielder Adam Lallana may only be fit for an appearance off the bench.
De Zerbi believes Albion’s involvement in the Europa League may have been a factor in their injury problems but accepts other Premier League managers, including Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, have faced similar injury issues.
“This season, a lot of injuries were unlucky because March, Pervis Estupinan, Enciso and Mitoma, they are not muscular injuries,” said De Zerbi. “We are paying maybe for playing every week three times.”
The Italian added: “I would like to play with the complete squad but Tottenham played a lot of games without seven, eight players and I never heard Postecoglou cry. It’s football and we have to accept it.
“I think we can compete in the same way. Maybe on the bench we have not the same quality with a complete squad but we have maybe more energy with the young players.”
De Zerbi twice suffered defeat by Spurs in his first season in English football, with Harry Kane scoring the winning goal on both occasions.
The Seagulls boss expressed his admiration for the way fourth-placed Tottenham had adapted to life without all-time leading club goalscorer Kane since the England star’s pre-season departure to German giants Bayern Munich.
“They play great football, their style is clear –- I love their style,” he said.
“They have great players and in terms of courage, personality on the pitch, they are one of the best teams in this moment in the Premier League, in Europe.”
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