Roberto De Zerbi has acknowledged that Brighton’s increased workload is beginning to have a detrimental impact, as Solly March suffered a significant injury during their 2-1 loss to Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s team secured all three points at the Etihad Stadium with goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland, while Ansu Fati managed to net Brighton’s lone goal, marking their fifth defeat in the last seven matches.
Adding to Brighton’s woes, March sustained another injury towards the end of the game and had to be stretchered off. The 29-year-old seemed to land awkwardly on his right knee following a challenge on Bernardo Silva. Speaking post-match, De Zerbi disclosed that March could be sidelined for an extended period, although he didn’t specify the nature of the injury. Brighton have already competed in 11 matches this season, including two in the Europa League, and they are scheduled to face Ajax at the Amex Stadium on Thursday.
De Zerbi remarked: “This is the worst thing today. We can lose Solly March for a long time and Welbeck I don’t know. We are playing a different sport this season. We are losing too many players. I think we are not ready to compete in this competition and we are adapting.”
When asked about his side’s display against City, De Zerbi went on: “We can speak of two parts of the game. The first part – there wasn’t the chance to play, because when City play like they do in first half it is not just very tough for Brighton but for everyone.”
“But second half we played better, with more energy, courage and personality. We kept order on the pitch, especially without the ball and we had two or three chances to score again. That improvement is important.”
Brighton is currently grappling with a notable injury crisis, with several key players sidelined. Pervis Estupinan picked up a muscle injury during their 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa last month, and now, Tariq Lamptey, Danny Welbeck, and Solly March are set to join Julio Enciso and Jakub Moder on the list of absentees.
