Brighton 2026-27 preview, back in Europe as injuries mount and a striker is needed | OneFootball

Brighton enter 2026-27 back in Europe, optimism checked by injuries and a shortage at centre-forward. Fabian Hurzeler must again juggle league ambitions with a Conference League schedule.

According to NY Times, their last continental run coincided with a slide from sixth to 11th in 2023-24. Last season’s second straight eighth-place finish secured Europe again.

Six signings are in so far, with scope for more before 1 September. Defence has been rebuilt after Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52m sale, with club-record buy Luka Vuskovic and Pascal Struijk added, plus Costinha at right-back.

Up front looks light. Danny Welbeck joined Chelsea after scoring 13 league goals, Georginio Rutter has been more effective as a No 10, and youngsters Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson are still working back from long-term injuries, with Charalampos Kostoulas an option.

Yankuba Minteh is out for up to three months after a right-leg injury in a 3-0 friendly win over Roma. Kaoru Mitoma remains sidelined after hamstring surgery.

Game management must improve. One win in 13 from December left them 14th by mid-February, starting with a 4-3 home defeat by Aston Villa after leading 2-0.

Ambitions remain high, with shots at silverware in Europe, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, which starts for them in round three. The 1901 Pub opens at the Amex, nudging capacity to about 32,200, and Hurzeler signed a new three-year deal in May.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”