Roberto De Zerbi said he is “surprised” by injured winger Kaoru Mitoma's inclusion in Japan's squad for the Asian Cup.
Mitoma picked up an ankle injury during Brighton and Hove Albion's 1-1 share of the spoils with Crystal Palace on December 21, 2023.
Following the injury, De Zerbi informed the public that Mitoma was expected to be unavailable for action for about 6 weeks.
However, the 26-year-old was called up by Japan for the Asian Cup that will go down from the 12th of January 2024 to the 10th of February 2024.
Speaking ahead of his side's encounter against West Ham United, Roberto De Zerbi stated that for him “it's difficult to think he can play in the Asian Cup”.
De Zerbi claimed that he was stunned by the decision, having been earlier informed by Brighton's medical team that Kaoru Mitoma would need about four to six weeks to recover from injury.
However, Roberto De Zerbi added that he is “a fan of Mitoma, of all my players, so if they can play for their national team I am very happy and very proud.”
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu also admitted that he isn't certain if Mitoma would be fit to feature in the country's first game against Vietnam on January 14, 2024.
Moriyasu said: “I don't know if Mitoma will be ready for the first match, but he is recovering well and I expect him to be available at an early stage.”
Brighton will miss several key players between January and mid-February, with Simon Adingra also going to be unavailable due to national team engagements with Ivory Coast.
Adingra was included in Ivory Coast's squad for the AFCON that will be held between January 13, 2024, and February 11, 2024.
However, Simon Adingra's fate to feature at the tournament is also in doubt due to a hamstring injury.
Anyway, Kaoru Mitoma joined Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale on August 10, 2011, for a fee of €3 million.
He has made 65 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring 13 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions.
Mitoma is known for his trickery, pace, and dribbling abilities. He has been linked with several big clubs in the past 12 months, including; Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool.
Brighton provided him with his breakthrough into European football, and he has played for a few clubs in his career, including; Union Saint-Gilloise and Tsukuba University.
Meanwhile, the Seagulls will be hoping to pick up valuable points from their visit to London to play West Ham United, as they sit 8th on the log, 3 points adrift of their opposition, who sit 6th on the table.
They smashed Spurs 4-2 in their last Premier League encounter, and Roberto De Zerbi will be hoping that he can put in a decent shift against the giant-killing West Ham United.
Mitoma picked up an ankle injury during Brighton and Hove Albion's 1-1 share of the spoils with Crystal Palace on December 21, 2023.
Following the injury, De Zerbi informed the public that Mitoma was expected to be unavailable for action for about 6 weeks.
However, the 26-year-old was called up by Japan for the Asian Cup that will go down from the 12th of January 2024 to the 10th of February 2024.
Speaking ahead of his side's encounter against West Ham United, Roberto De Zerbi stated that for him “it's difficult to think he can play in the Asian Cup”.
De Zerbi claimed that he was stunned by the decision, having been earlier informed by Brighton's medical team that Kaoru Mitoma would need about four to six weeks to recover from injury.
However, Roberto De Zerbi added that he is “a fan of Mitoma, of all my players, so if they can play for their national team I am very happy and very proud.”
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu also admitted that he isn't certain if Mitoma would be fit to feature in the country's first game against Vietnam on January 14, 2024.
Moriyasu said: “I don't know if Mitoma will be ready for the first match, but he is recovering well and I expect him to be available at an early stage.”
Brighton will miss several key players between January and mid-February, with Simon Adingra also going to be unavailable due to national team engagements with Ivory Coast.
Adingra was included in Ivory Coast's squad for the AFCON that will be held between January 13, 2024, and February 11, 2024.
However, Simon Adingra's fate to feature at the tournament is also in doubt due to a hamstring injury.
Anyway, Kaoru Mitoma joined Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale on August 10, 2011, for a fee of €3 million.
He has made 65 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring 13 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions.
Mitoma is known for his trickery, pace, and dribbling abilities. He has been linked with several big clubs in the past 12 months, including; Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool.
Brighton provided him with his breakthrough into European football, and he has played for a few clubs in his career, including; Union Saint-Gilloise and Tsukuba University.
Meanwhile, the Seagulls will be hoping to pick up valuable points from their visit to London to play West Ham United, as they sit 8th on the log, 3 points adrift of their opposition, who sit 6th on the table.
They smashed Spurs 4-2 in their last Premier League encounter, and Roberto De Zerbi will be hoping that he can put in a decent shift against the giant-killing West Ham United.