Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan Out ‘For a Long Time’ After Suffering Muscle Injury
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Pervis Estupinan will be out for a long time due to a muscle injury. The 25-year-old Ecuador international suffered the injury during last Saturday’s 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa, where he scored an own goal and was substituted at half-time.
De Zerbi has said that Estupinan is likely to be out for around a month, which is a huge blow for the Seagulls’ Premier League and Europa League campaigns. He said: “He’s injured and can’t play for a long time. One month, more or less. I don’t know the right time but it’s a muscular injury and it is not for a game or two. Unfortunately, it is an important player we are losing but we can play in that position with Tariq Lamptey, Igor Julio or others. We have to be ready with others.”
The Italian has been rotating his side to deal with domestic and European duties, with mixed success of late, but De Zerbi says recent losses are not down to changing his team. He said: “We are not used to playing so many games in a row in the same week and we have to adapt. To adapt we have to change many players game by game. The defeats against West Ham and Aston Villa are not because I changed a lot of players. I believe in my players and my squad. We have enough to fight better.”
With Estupinan likely to be out for the rest of October he looks set to miss five matches, beginning with the trip to Marseille on Thursday. The Seagulls have a tough run of fixtures as they host Liverpool and then travel to Manchester City in the Premier League before welcoming Ajax to the Amex in the Europa League. Their final match of the month comes at home against Fulham on 29 October.
Brighton’s Options Without Estupinan
With Estupinan out for the foreseeable future, Brighton will have to find a way to cope without him. De Zerbi has said that they will be able to play in his position with Tariq Lamptey, Igor Julio or others, but it remains to be seen how effective they will be without Estupinan’s presence in the team.
The Seagulls have already had a tough start to the season, with just one win in their opening six Premier League games, and they will need to find a way to turn their form around if they are to have any chance of staying in the top flight this season.
Conclusion
Pervis Estupinan’s injury is a huge blow for Brighton and their chances of success this season. The 25-year-old has been a key player for the Seagulls since joining from Villarreal and his absence will be felt in both the Premier League and Europa League campaigns.
De Zerbi has said that they will be able to cope without Estupinan, but it remains to be seen how effective they will be without him in the team. With a tough run of fixtures coming up, Brighton will need to find a way to turn their form around if they are to have any chance of staying in the top flight this season.