Brighton return to Premier League action this afternoon when they make the long trip north to face Newcastle at St James’ Park.
The Seagulls lost their league opener 1-3 at home to Chelsea six days ago before cruising into the third round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday with a 4-0 drubbing of Portsmouth.
Graham Potter changed his entire starting line-up for the latter fixture and looks set to recall several of his big guns for the clash on Tyneside, although some might just have played their way into the team following their performances against Pompey.
Adam Lallana and Ben White face late fitness tests prior to kick-off after both were forced off against Chelsea on Monday, while Christian Walton, Florin Andone and Jose Izquierdo all remain sidelined for the foreseeable future (as per Sky Sports).
Our predicted Brighton XI for the clash against the Magpies shows seven changes from the team that started the win over Portsmouth, with Potter keeping the 4-2-3-1 formation from that victory:
Mat Ryan will return in goal, with Jason Steele getting a rare start on Thursday, while there could be three changes to the defensive setup. Bernardo scored and set up a goal against Pompey and deserves to keep his left-back slot, with Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk returning as the centre-back pairing as White may not be risked. Tariq Lamptey, who played in a wing-back role against Chelsea, could be deployed as a more conventional right-back here, taking over from Jayson Molumby.
Davy Propper played well on his return from injury three days ago and could keep his place at the base of midfield alongside Yves Bissouma, who comes back into the team. Potter might then go with an attacking midfield trio of Leandro Trossard on the left, Alireza Jahanbakhsh on the right and Alexis Mac Allister in the number 10 role. All three have scored over the last couple of games, with the Iranian also claiming an assist on Thursday, and there seems no real need to risk Lallana just yet.
Neal Maupay was rested in midweek but is likely to reprise the centre-forward role today, this time as a lone target man having been partnered with Trossard against Chelsea. That would see Viktor Gyokeres drop back out following his goal in the Carabao Cup victory.
While there is still a chance that Lallana and White may both be fit enough to feature today, Potter has enough options to not risk throwing them straight back into the fray and may instead begin with them on the bench.
Brighton fans, is this the line-up that you would pick for today’s match? Have your say by commenting below!
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