Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler has shrugged off speculation about an England recall for Danny Welbeck.
The prospect of a recall has come up after the striker continued his fine form with two goals in the win over Newcastle last weekend.
As the Seagulls prepared for their Premier League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow (Saturday 25 October), Hürzeler spoke out.
He said that Welbeck’s main priority was to help maintain Albion’s impressive form, with a win at Old Trafford potentially taking them into the top six.
Hürzeler said: “I haven’t talked to Danny about that. I’m sure that he’s only focused on performing well. That’s the only thing he can influence – the rest isn’t in his hands.
“It’s only about improving, getting better every week and showing that you are ready to play at the highest level.
“I’m sure Thomas (Tuchel) will watch him but I’m happy to see that England are progressing well and I’m sure Thomas will make the right decisions.”
Welbeck was born in Manchester and came through United’s youth set up before going on to score 20 goals in 92 games for the senior side.
After six years at Old Trafford, he spent six years with Arsenal before spending a season at Watford. He joined Albion on a free transfer from the Hornets in 2020.
Welbeck, who turns 35 next month, made 42 appearance for England, scoring 16 goals. He played his last international match seven years ago but has enjoyed something of a renaissance under Hürzeler.
The German coach, who is more than two years younger than Welbeck, will be able to call on Diego Gomez at Old Trafford.
The midfielder appears to have recovered from the knock that he sustained in the first half of the win against the Magpies.
And there look like being further fitness boosts for the Seagulls with Brajan Gruda, Kaoru Mitoma and Joel Veltman all pushing to be in contention after missing out last week due to minor injuries.
Brighton are preparing to face a United team hunting for their third straight win under Ruben Amorim.
And despite constant speculation about his future, Hurzeler believes his counterpart remains among the best in the game.
Hürzeler said: “I think he’s one of the best managers. Of course he has not had an easy time in Manchester but he has proved in the past how good he can be with his teams. I’m really looking forward to competing against him.”
Brighton are currently 10th in the table with 12 points from eight games, one place and one point behind United.
The match tomorrow is due to kick off at 5.30pm.
