Brighton handed huge double boost ahead of Man City clash

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed that Mats Wieffer and Yankuba Minteh are back in contention ahead of their Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City.

Wieffer has missed the last nine games with a knee injury, while Minteh has been sidelined since suffering a knee problem in pre-season against Roma.

Their returns come as Ferdi Kadioglu and Chema Andres face late fitness checks after both picked up hip injuries in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

“That’s a positive one, that Minteh and Wieffer will be back,” Hurzeler said.

“Having new faces back in the group always brings new energy.

“The injured players who were out for a long time always have a point to prove. They want to get back in the team.

“You feel it from day one when they come on the pitch that they want to show they belong in the team, and that’s always helpful to have this competition for places, it lifts the energy in the training sessions.”

Hurzeler believes the return of the pair will also raise standards within the squad as Brighton prepare for another difficult test.

“We are all looking forward to having these players back because, before the injuries, they were big players for us,” he added.

“Of course, the team is playing very well, so it also means that the returning players have to raise their standards, but that’s only positive for our culture.”