Villa's Visit to Brighton Complicated by Injury Absences and Transfer Drama

Brighton is gearing up to host Aston Villa at the American Express Stadium on Sunday afternoon, but they face a challenge after a recent Conference League play-off trip to Norway.

The Seagulls drew 0-0 with Tromso in the first leg of their qualifying tie, and several players who played the full 90 minutes are unlikely to be risked again soon. This adds an extra layer of selection complexity to the season opener for manager Fabian Hurzeler.

Several Brighton players are unavailable due to injury: Carlos Baleba is nursing an ankle injury while also on the verge of completing a move to Manchester United worth more than £65m, and Yankuba Minteh has a leg problem. Kaoru Mitoma is sidelined with a hamstring injury, along with Stefanos Tzimas (knee) and Evan Ferguson (ankle).

Promise David became available for selection this week and could make his debut from the bench, but Georginio Rutter is expected to retain his place leading the line. Bart Verbruggen, Mats Wieffer, and Pascal Gross all played the full 90 minutes in Norway and are likely to keep their places, with Gross potentially shifting into a deeper midfield role.