Brighton & Hove Albion captain Lewis Dunk is back in contention for Friday’s home game against Southampton.
The long-serving central defender has missed the last four Premier League matches with a calf injury sustained during the warm-up before the 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Amex Stadium in October.
Head coach Fabian Hurzeler said at his press conference on Thursday morning: “Lewis will be an option. He will be back in the squad.”
Dunk, 33, is unlikely to come straight back into the starting line-up, due to the form of Brazilian Igor Julio alongside Dutch international Jan Paul van Hecke. Brighton have lost narrowly at Liverpool and beaten Manchester City at home and Bournemouth away in their last three league matches.
Turkey international full-back Ferdi Kadioglu remains doubtful with a toe injury which has ruled him out of the last two games, but Yankuba Minteh is back in the squad having missed the last five matches through injury and sickness. Tariq Lamptey is also back in squad contention after injury.
Brighton will go second in the table in the table if they win on Friday night but Hurzeler is expecting a tough test against bottom-placed Southampton after they pushed leaders Liverpool hard in Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat.
“There is no easy opponent in this league,” said Hurzeler. “Southampton proved it last week and that is a warning for us to be ready for this game.”
GO DEEPER
Kaoru Mitoma finally looking his old self after taxing second Premier League season
(Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
