Brighton’s Mitoma out for rest of season with injury – De Zerbi

Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma is likely to miss the rest of the season with a back injury, manager Roberto De Zerbi said on Tuesday.

“I think we have lost Mitoma until the end of the season,” De Zerbi told a press conference ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup fifth round match against Wolves. “It's a big problem. I think two or three months will be the end of the season.”

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Mitoma played a starring role last season as Brighton qualified for European football for the first time, although he has scored just three goals in 19 matches this season.

The 26-year-old was sidelined with an ankle injury in December, but was nevertheless called up to Japan's squad for the Asian Cup, which concluded earlier this this month. Japan was eliminated by Iran in the quarter-finals.

Mitoma's injury only adds to Brighton's injury crisis, with the club missing nine players for the Wolves clash.

“[Evan] Ferguson tomorrow he can't play [due to an ankle injury]. [Danny] Welbeck has a problem and we need to check it,” De Zerbi said.

“[Joel] Veltman can't play either and the other injured players can't play.”

Brighton, seventh in the Premier League table after collecting 39 points from 26 matches, travel to 12th-placed Fulham in the top flight on Saturday, followed by a trip to Rome for their Europa League round of 16 first leg on the 7th. March.