Carlos Baleba a doubt for Brighton’s start after ankle ligament injury | OneFootball

Carlos Baleba has sustained an ankle ligament injury, leaving the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder a doubt for the start of the 2026-27 season. According to NY Times, he is expected to spend a spell out, though Brighton hope it is not a long-term issue.

The Cameroon international was injured during pre-season and missed Saturday’s 4-3 friendly win over Strasbourg. Fixtures against Roma and Bologna follow as Fabian Hurzeler continues preparations.

Brighton begin on Thursday, August 20 with the away leg of a Europa Conference League qualifier against Tromso or CFR Cluj. Their Premier League opener arrives three days later at home to Aston Villa.

Manchester United showed firm interest at the end of last season but no transfer materialised for the 22-year-old. United had broadly agreed personal terms last summer and tracked him through 2025-26, then opted for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

Baleba made 31 Premier League appearances last term, his third season on the south coast after joining from Lille in summer 2023. Brighton have added Luka Vuskovic, Michael Svoboda, Pascal Struijk, Costinha and Zadok Yohanna in this window.

Hurzeler adjusted his midfield frequently as Baleba’s form dipped last season amid United’s pursuit. He started 23 of 38 league matches, was withdrawn at half-time on four occasions and completed 90 minutes only three times.

Brighton will hope he returns to the box-to-box power of 2024-25 that caught United’s eye and drew interest from leading European clubs.

Source: NY Times

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