Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi has received a huge boost as Jakub Moder is nearing a return after more than a year out.
The athletic 6ft 2in Poland international was just starting to show his best form for club and country when he sustained a serious ACL knee injury on April 2, 2022 during a 0-0 home draw against Norwich. He missed the rest of the campaign, the 2022 World Cup and then the entire 2022-23 season.
Moder joined Brighton in 2020 from Lech Poznań for around £7m. He had an encouraging start to his Premier League career and was a regular in the Albion midfield under then manager Graham Potter.
The 24-year-old is yet to play for current boss Roberto De Zerbi but is now in full training and reportedly played behind closed door friendlies.
This Thursday’s Europa League clash against Ajax at the Amex is expected to arrive too soon for Moder. Elsewhere, Solly March (knee), Danny Welbeck (muscular), Pervis Estupinan (muscular) Tariq Lamptey (muscular) and Julio Enciso (knee) are all out for tomorrow’s crunch Group B match-up with Ajax.
OTHER NEWS:
Major boost as new ‘city location’ Brighton stadium receives cross party backing
Plans to build a new stadium located in the city for Brighton Women has received backing from Brighton & Hove City council.
Albion’s women have been competing in the WSL since 2018 but currently play their home matches at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium.
It has long been the club’s ambition to play their home matches in the city and that now appears to be moving closer after a motion was passed at a meeting of the full council last week committing their support.
An exact size, capacity and location of the new stadium is yet to be confirmed but last week Albion Women hosted Tottenham in the WSL at the Amex Stadium and drew a crowd of more than 7,000 – a record for a women’s fixture.
Cllr. John Hewitt said: “The team have been playing in the top-flight Women’s Super League since 2018 and have established themselves. It is vital the team relocates to the city, so the infrastructure is in place so they can thrive.
“A purpose-built stadium for our team will allow attendances to improve, encourage participation and will enable the team to follow on in the footsteps of the men’s side. Imagine having two European tours to go on in the same season. This would be a fantastic addition to our city.”
Brighton’s managing director of women’s and girls’ football, Zoe Johnson added: “We believe that this is another positive step in the right direction for women’s football within the Sussex community. We understand that it will take time, and we look forward to working with the council to ensure that we can bring the women’s team to Brighton on a permanent basis.”
