Fabian Hurzeler Discusses Player Returns, Festive Fixtures, and Team Consistency

Prior to Brighton’s Premier League match against Fulham on Thursday, scheduled for a 19:30 GMT kick-off, manager Fabian Hurzeler addressed the media. The following are the main points from his press conference: Regarding injuries, no new issues have emerged, with Kaoru Mitoma, Tariq Lamptey, and Yasin Ayari cleared to play in Wednesday’s fixture. A decision on right-back Joel Veltman’s availability will follow his training session today. Conversely, Jack Hinshelwood and Ferdi Kadioglu are still out due to their ongoing injuries. Captain Lewis Dunk “is a possibility” to rejoin the starting line-up, having recovered from his calf injury. Winger Solly March might return to action prior to Christmas, following over a year sidelined by a severe knee injury. Hurzeler stated: “He said to me yesterday, ‘Gaffer I’m ready’. I think it’s important that we calm him down and give him the time to be prepared for a Premier League game after all this time. We don’t want to make two steps at one time.” Discussing midfielder Carlos Baleba, who is available after completing his one-match suspension, Hurzeler commented: “He has shown he can have a big impact on the game with his physicality and power. He is still young and has lots of potential.” Addressing the upcoming demanding festive schedule, Hurzeler remarked: “We feel ready. It is a new experience for me and some of my staff members, but we are really looking forward to it. I’ve heard it’s an intense period and important, so we have to be focused.” Hurzeler described Southampton’s goal, which was disallowed on Friday, as “a 50/50 situation,” but added that “it’s in the past” and he intends not to “make this a big topic any more.” When asked about his team’s difficulty in maintaining consistent performance for the full 90 minutes, Hurzeler responded: “That’s the million dollar question! If we can find an answer to this then we will have a successful time here. We’ve been trying to work on staying stable. In general, it’s more about our behaviour, controlling the game and sticking to our principles for 90 minutes.” He characterized Fulham as “a very good team in possession” possessing a balanced squad, noting: “They defend in a very compact shape and they try to be aggressive and shift a lot.” Regarding his first match at Craven Cottage, Hurzeler stated: “It’s a small, tight stadium. The pitch isn’t the biggest so it will be an intense, tough game.”