BRIGHTON CROCK!
De Zerbi: If we finish in top 6 with this injury list it will be incredible
ROBERTO DE ZERBI says if his injury-plagued Brighton finish in the top six this season it will be an even bigger achievement than doing it last year.
Albion stunned their rivals by qualifying for the Europa League in 2023, and were immediately named second favourites to win it, behind Liverpool.
They are still on target to do that, facing Roma in the last 16 this week. But the Premier League has been a tougher slog.
De Zerbi’s side head to Fulham sitting in seventh spot but without back-to-back wins since November and still suffering from an injury list that never seems to go away.
De Zerbi said: “When I was on holiday in the sun after last season I thought about my dream of Solly March, Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma. Now we are going to play the crucial part of the season without these players.
“It would be incredible to finish in the top six again.
“That’s why I think we are doing something more than last season, something better because of these problems.”
De Zerbi had nine players missing for the midweek trip to Wolves but has Joel Veltman and Tariq Lamptey back for the visit to Craven Cottage. And he is trying to remain up beat.
He said: “The target is to win against Roma in the Europa League and play in the quarter-final.
“Then in the Premier League to keep this level and to reach the last five games of the season still in this position.
“But to achieve this target I need more players fit and not so many injuries. Otherwise, it will be very tough.
“If you watched the game at Wolverhampton, Simon Adingra didn’t play well. But not because he’s not a good player or because his attitude was not right. Maybe he was tired. Facundo Buonanotte the same and Pascal Gross suffered cramp at the end of the game. Lewis Dunk can’t play 90 minutes every three days.
“But to make substitutions you have to have more players available.”
One player that De Zerbi is desperate to make a bigger mark is attacker Ansu Fati, on loan from Barcelona. The youngster arrived with a big fanfare but has only shown glimpses of his class – and De Zerbi wants to see more from him.
He said: “I think he can push more, he can be stronger, he can play better, he can believe more in his abilities
“He is a big talent but needs to push more everyday on the pitch and not only 80 percent, or the day before the game 20 percent.
“When you play, especially in England, you have to push every day, every training session, otherwise you cannot play.”
Albion have Billy Gilmour suspended for the trip to London, with Jack Hinshelwood and James Milner also injured. Danny Welbeck is only fit enough for the bench and Gross is a doubt.