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Brighton and Hove Albion supporters continue to ask how Kaoru Mitoma has been missing for so long, as the influential Japan international battles to return from the ankle injury he suffered in the 3-1 win at Chelsea.
The winger has now sat out six weeks of action and missed five successive matches, and although Fabian Hurzeler has repeatedly described him as close or even very close to returning, the Brighton head coach has also admitted the player is only fifty fifty for competitive action. Mitoma was absent again from the latest full first-team training gallery, which raised further questions.
Hürzeler’s Brighton squad has not been short of injury stories. James Milner, Brajan Gruda and Jack Hinshelwood remain sidelined, while Adam Webster and Solly March are long-term concerns. The manager knows supporters are wary of optimistic timelines, not least after the minor issue that kept Milner out for most of last season. Even so, Hurzeler stressed that Mitoma is being monitored closely in sessions at Lancing and that communication with the Japanese FA has been constant.
In Mitoma’s absence, Brighton have relied heavily on Diego Gomez, who scored twice in the 3-0 win against Leeds United and has impressed on the left flank. The Paraguay international has offered energy and direct running, and he kept his spot even before Mitoma was ruled out. Youngster Tommy Watson has been part of discussions about depth on the flanks, while Maxim De Cuyper has also been considered as a creative outlet on the left, with Ferdi Kadioglu being regularly preferred at full-back ahead of him.
Across the pitch, senior players have carried the load during this injury period. Danny Welbeck continues to lead the line despite being overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for England selection. Record signing Georginio Rutter is still searching for his first goal of the season, while Yankuba Minteh has kept his place on the right. Mats Wieffer has started at right-back, even with Joel Veltman fit again. Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke remain central to Hürzeler’s defensive set up.
The hope around The AMEX is that Mitoma will be ready for Brentford on Saturday. Until then, Brighton supporters are left to ponder whether this long absence is caution, misfortune or simply part of a growing injury list that has shaped the season.
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