Manger Chris Hughton has now held his pre Leicester City press conference and he remains hopeful Chelsea’s Izzy Brown will be back with us next week.
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media for his pre game obligations, Hughton repeated that Brown was still with parent club Chelsea for assessment, but he’s hoping it’s not a severe hamstring problem and that he’ll be back next week for recovery.
‘The only one out of the squad from Saturday is Izzy Brown. He has gone back to Chelsea to be assessed. It is what they do with their loan players. We’re hoping to have him back here next week and we’re hoping it’s not so bad. It is a hamstring but we’re hoping it’s not too severe. We’re hoping he’ll possibly be back next week but that will be to continue his rehab but they will assess him and say how long that is going to be.’
With trio Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy and Anthony Knockaert all signing new deals yesterday, Hughton went on to say.
‘We’re really delighted. Everyone talks about new signings or potential new signings and it just hits home to you that the players you manage to keep or get on even longer deals are every bit as important, if not more important. It’s one we expected to do. All three have thoroughly enjoyed their time and have done very well for us. It’s just testament to what we’re trying to go.’
He added.
‘It’s good to get them on longer deals, that’s for sure. All three had very good seasons last season, so their stock has risen. They are better players now than perhaps they were this time last season. The important thing is they wanted to sign and they want to be here, because they can see what we are trying to achieve. But in this day and age of people moving and running down their contracts, it’s certainly good to have got them for that period of time.’
As for Leicester City at the weekend, speaking more specifically about them he went on to say.
‘Squad-wise, they’re more or less the same. A couple of additions and, of course, they lost a very big player in midfield to Chelsea. But what they went through last season is probably expected. When you reach the heights that they did the season before, the pressure last season to get anywhere near those levels again is very difficult.
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Hughton went on to say.
‘I think it’s very difficult even for one of the top teams, let alone a team that wasn’t expected to get there. So I think that what they went through last season is expected but what they have done is levelled back now and I expect them to be a very consistent Premier League team this season.’
As for the learning curve that Brighton are on in the Premier League, Hughton ended by saying.
‘Not only from our games, we’re looking at the other games. Burnley going to Chelsea and getting a win, albeit they were down to ten men early in the game.
We will learn from every game we can, but mostly, of course, we’ll learn from our own games and one thing that was very evident was the quality that Manchester City have.
That is the real top end of the division and we are conscious that we are a different level to that group of teams.
We had a good shape about us, had a couple of good chances ourselves, and we’ll be encouraged by that.’
