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Brighton & Hove Albion's final build-up to the new campaign has been disrupted by a major injury setback involving Yankuba Minteh. The Gambia international winger was forced off during the Seagulls' convincing win over Roma, leaving head coach Fabian Hurzeler with a mounting selection concern ahead of the Premier League opener.

Fresh injury concern for Yankuba Minteh

Brighton & Hove Albion's closing preparations for the new season were overshadowed by a serious injury scare for Minteh during their 3-0 friendly victory against Roma. The Gambia international, who sealed a £30 million switch from Newcastle in July 2024, picked up a right leg injury early in the second half after a heavy challenge involving Roma captain Bryan Cristante. Minteh first tried to continue after receiving lengthy treatment, but soon went down on the turf again in visible pain. The 22-year-old was eventually assisted off the pitch by the medical team with his head tucked into his shirt.

Speaking to the media soon after the final whistle at the Amex Stadium, Hurzeler admitted he was immediately worried about the winger's condition. "Of course it's not a great sign when a player goes off, but we have to wait for the scan," Hurzeler told reporters. "It seemed to be a hit (contact impact), not particularly in the ankle area but a little higher. We have to wait for how the pain continues."

Growing absentee list for Fabian Hurzeler

Minteh's injury comes as a major blow for Hurzeler, who is already dealing with a long list of unavailable players in important areas of the squad. The Seagulls are expected to be without key winger Kaoru Mitoma, midfielder Carlos Baleba, and striker Evan Ferguson for the opening weeks of the season.

Minteh had been widely tipped to start out wide in Mitoma's absence, which makes any possible spell on the sidelines even more damaging to the side's tactical balance. After registering nine goals and eight assists in 66 Premier League appearances before his move to the South Coast, the youngster had quickly emerged as an important part of Hurzeler's attacking plans.

Comfortable win over Serie A heavyweights

Despite the concern surrounding the injury, Brighton produced an impressive display to see off their Italian opponents. A goal from Georginio Rutter and a brace from Yasin Ayari secured a comfortable evening for the home side, who controlled long periods of the match. The result offers a lift in confidence and underlines that the squad has enough attacking quality to challenge top-level European opposition.

The Seagulls have one final pre-season outing left as they get ready to face another Serie A team, Bologna, at the Amex next Saturday. That fixture will act as Hurzeler's final opportunity to fine-tune his system and assess the players who are fit and available.

A gruelling start to the competitive season

The timing of this injury situation is especially worrying given the packed schedule Brighton are facing later in August. The club is due to start its European campaign in the Conference League play-off round on August 20, likely against Norwegian side Tromso.

After the first leg of that European tie, Brighton will welcome Aston Villa for their Premier League opener on August 23, before the second leg of the Conference League play-off on August 27. The month then ends with a high-profile trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea on August 30.