Brighton and Hove Albion are preparing to host Aston Villa in their opening fixture of the Premier League season this afternoon (Sunday 23 August).
Albion head coach Fabian Hürzeler said that he was relishing a “great opportunity” to play across different competitions this season.
As well as the challenges of the Premier League and domestic cup competitions, the Seagulls are also vying for a place in the league phase of the Europa Conference League.
In their Conference League play-off match on Thursday (20 August), Brighton were held to a goalless draw at Tromso and face the Norwegian side again in their reverse fixture next Thursday at the Amex.
Hürzeler said: “It’s a great opportunity that we have this challenge that we can learn from. From having more games, we can grow into these moments where we play in several competitions.
“That’s what the club want to do. That’s what in general we see as a club as the next step.
“Hopefully, we can qualify next week then we’re looking forward to playing in several competitions. That means also new challenges but we feel we’re ready for that.”
Brighton will be without four injured players as they face Aston Villa in their first match of the new season at 2pm this afternoon.
Hürzeler said: “Carlos (Baleba) and (Yankuba) Minteh, they won’t be available. Then Kaoru (Mitoma) is still in his rehab, Stefanos Tzimas is still in his rehab, so therefore I think these four players they will miss out. Besides that, we have no new injuries.”
Two of the injured players continue to be the subject of transfer talk, with Manchester United – beaten 2-0 yesterday by newly promoted Hull City – reported to have agreed a deal worth £70 million (£65 million plus add-ons) for 22-year-old Cameroon international Baleba.
Brighton are reported to have rejected two bids from Liverpool for 22-year-old Gambia international Yankuba Minteh – first for £50 million and then for £60 million.
Albion fans may be used to supporting a selling club but Aston Villa boss Unai Emery admitted that the summer exodus of star players at Villa Park had surprised him.
Villa have already lost Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans this summer, with Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez also looking likely to leave before the transfer window closes.
Emery has been able to replace some of his key men but the Spaniard was not expecting the scale of the rebuild.
He said: “Definitely not expecting the changes we were doing but last year when we finished sixth and played PSG in the quarter-finals, we didn’t have a lot of movement around players.
“This year is completely different. Maybe it was winning the Europa League or finishing fourth but more or less both seasons were similar in performance.
“This year they have come for our players but I accept it and we have to be positive again.
“We will need time but we are involved in everything, trying to be demanding doing things. We are also trying to be demanding to join players in the squad and keep the performance.
“The fans were patient when we arrived here. We changed the style and idea. We needed to teach the supporters about the new way we wanted to build.
“We want to keep the same idea and objective and ambition with the new players. We have to be patient with the new players. If we need time to get it then we have to be patient.”
