Why Key Injury Sparked Brighton’s Poor Form

It has been a tricky week for Brighton & Hove Albion, with their poor form primarily due to an injury to their star attacker. This started with them being knocked out on penalties (4-3) to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarter-final. A 3-0 home loss to Aston Villa followed, before a bitterly disappointing 2-1 loss away to arch-rivals Crystal Palace. This ended their seven-game unbeaten streak. Injuries have played their part, with the recent season-ending injury to Georginio Rutter possibly being the catalyst in their recent defeats.

Georginio Rutter’s Absence a Key Reason for Brighton’s Poor Form

Rutter Adds to Brighton’s Injury List

There were worrying scenes for Brighton fans in the FA Cup match against Forest, with Rutter going down after he twisted his ankle in an off-the-ball incident. He had come off the pitch in a lot of pain. Shortly after, he was on the bench with a protective boot on. He then left the Amex in the back of an ambulance. 

In the press conference after the game, Fabian Hurzeler admitted that the injury to Rutter ‘did not look great’ and said that it was possible that he could miss the rest of the season. This is a massive blow for the Seagulls. Their hopes of clinching European football for next season have been damaged by the injury to the 22-year-old. 

This injury adds to the long list of absentees Hurzeler has to deal with. Along with Rutter, Jason Steele, Tariq Lamptey, Adam Webster, Ferdi Kadioglu, Igor Julio, James Milner and Joel Veltman all missed the defeat against Palace, with Diego Gomez also having come off injured for the Sussex side, explaining Brighton’s recent poor form.

What Rutter Brings to the Table

Rutter signed for Brighton from Leeds United for around £40 million, breaking their previous transfer record. He has played in a range of positions for the Seagulls but is favoured in a number 10 role. He has impressed in this role and has contributed eight goals and five assists in all competitions this season. The French international contributed four goals in his last eight games before his injury. This helped Brighton go on a seven-game unbeaten run.

His versatile style of game has made him a very hard player to deal with. Dropping deep from his offensive position confuses defenders. He utilises his pace and strength to get away from opposing players and to hold onto the ball to sustain attacks. This allows him to be a useful asset out wide, which he has played a few times this season as Hurzeler sought his best position. He also has a keen eye for goal. He has averaged almost two shots a game – the joint-highest for Brighton this season.

The Frenchman’s energy levels and press have also been praised. Putting pressure on defenders has led to turnovers for Brighton which they have been able to pounce on. An example of this was in the 4-0 win against Southampton earlier this season. The attacker pressured Saints defender Joe Aribo into an error before teammate Yankuba Minteh set him up for his well-deserved goal. 

This has all been missed in Brighton’s last two Premier League fixtures, with his link-up in the attack key to Brighton’s offensive play, along with his physicality and press which Brighton lacks when he is not included in the lineup. These are all reasons for Brighton’s poor form in recent weeks.

Brighton’s Options for Replacing Rutter

The obvious option for Brighton to replace Rutter in the 10 role is Joao Pedro. The Brazilian has been one of Brighton’s key players in recent times and is Brighton’s joint-top goalscorer this season, level with English striker Danny Welbeck. The pair work well together, with Pedro having played behind the former Arsenal and Manchester United star in that 10 role at times this campaign. Hurzeler has played Pedro more up front this season, but with the gap Rutter has left behind that role, Pedro may be needed to drop deeper to fill in that position.

Another player who could make their mark is Brajan Gruda. The German midfielder signed from Mainz for £25 million last summer but was injured when he joined the Sussex outfit. Since then, he has struggled for consistent game time. He has also not yet adapted to the physicality of the Premier League, though he does share the same pressing and offensive traits as Rutter. The team could give more first-team minutes to the 20-year-old to help him reach his potential.

Matt O’Riley is another player who could fit this role. Signed from Celtic in the summer, he too had an injury-stricken start after he was sidelined in Brighton’s opening Carabao Cup game against fellow Sussex side Crawley Town. On his return to action, he scored the winner against Manchester City. With only six league starts this season, O’Riley has not had a chance to prove himself. He did have the chance to when he started on the weekend against Palace; despite the poor result, his performance impressed the Brighton fans. Similar to Gruda, if he gets a run in the team he could challenge for that position.

Hurzeler is very lucky to have such strong depth when injuries to key players occur. They will be key if they want to end Brighton’s poor form.