Brighton are set to make a late decision on the fitness of Joao Pedro for Sunday’s Premier League visit of Nottingham Forest.
The Brazilian forward missed last week’s frustrating goalless home draw with newly-promoted Ipswich and the midweek Carabao Cup third-round win over Wolves having sustained a knock while away on international duty earlier this month.
Brighton struggled against Ipswich without one of their brightest attacking talents as £40million summer signing from Leeds, Georginio Rutter, joined Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck in attack instead, registering 21 total shots including six on target to go along with almost 70 per cent possession but failing to beat inspired visiting goalkeeper Aro Muric.
Pedro has been a key player for the Seagulls since arriving on the south coast from Watford in a £30m move last summer, scoring 22 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions so far. Such a number includes the last-gasp winner over Manchester United last month and equaliser at Arsenal.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has now confirmed that Pedro will be back in training on Friday, but insisted he is unwilling to take any risks with the 22-year-old’s fitness ahead of the clash with a Forest side still on a high from their shock victory over Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
“He will train today with the team and then we have to see how it’s going, if he can train fully, if he can do all the movements,” Hurzeler said of Pedro at his pre-match press conference on Friday morning. “Of course we won’t take any risk but he will be part of the training today.”
Hurzeler also revealed that midfielders Matt O’Riley and James Milner were both making good progress with their respective injury recoveries, while Brighton are also still without the likes of Solly March and Brajan Gruda for the meeting with Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest at the Amex Stadium.
