AliousInjury Crisis Hits Brighton & Newcastle: Eight Ruled Out as Joelinton Confirmed Out of Crucial Clash
Both Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United are facing major squad selection headaches ahead of their crucial Premier League showdown this Sunday, with eight players confirmed as unavailable for the clash.
With both clubs vying for European qualification, the stakes are high at the Amex Stadium. Newcastle already has one foot in the Europa Conference League but is still pushing to break into the Champions League spots, making three points absolutely vital. Brighton, meanwhile, kept their continental dreams alive with a thrilling 3-2 victory over West Ham and are part of a tight mid-table cluster—including Brentford, Bournemouth, and Fulham—separated by just two points.
Adding intrigue to the matchup is Brighton’s unbeaten Premier League home record against Newcastle, having already defeated the Magpies twice this season. But both sides head into this fixture with depleted squads.
**Brighton Absentees:**
* **Pascal Groß**: Sidelined since March with a foot injury. While manager Fabian Hürzeler is hopeful of a return before season’s end, Sunday’s game comes too early.
* **James Milner**: The veteran has been plagued by injury and hasn’t featured since August. He won’t be available against his former side.
* **Ferdi Kadioglu**: The £25m signing from Fenerbahçe remains out after toe surgery and is not expected back before the end of the campaign.
**Newcastle Absentees:**
* **Jamaal Lascelles**: Still recovering from a long-term ACL injury sustained in March. With limited games remaining, a return this season seems unlikely.
* **Matt Targett**: Picked up another hamstring injury, and manager Eddie Howe has admitted his campaign could be over.
* **Joelinton**: A big blow confirmed—Howe revealed the Brazilian midfielder is unlikely to return this season due to knee discomfort, although a late comeback hasn’t been completely ruled out.
* **Lewis Hall**: Underwent foot surgery and is ruled out until pre-season despite having shown strong form this year.
As the match approaches, both managers will need to be tactically flexible and rely on squad depth to navigate this high-stakes fixture with depleted resources.
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