brightonandhovenews.org

Dunk could return as Brighton and Hove Albion host champions Liverpool

Brighton and Hove Albion captain Lewis Dunk could be back in the side that faces the new Premier League champions Liverpool at the Amex on Monday (19 May).

And striker Joao Pedro is also back in contention for a place after serving a three-match ban for a red card against Brentford last month.

Dunk, 33, missed Brighton’s most recent outing, the 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, because of “a minor issue”.

Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler said that Joel Veltman was also back in the squad – and Kaoru Mitoma was a possibility.

Meanwhile, Georginio Rutter has a chance of being available after injury for Brighton’s final game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 25 May.

The Seagulls were battling for eighth place alongside Brentford, Bournemouth and Fulham, with the prospect of UEFA Conference League qualification.

But that outside chance vanished today when Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley, with Eberechi Eze scoring the only goal of the game.

Hürzeler spoke about Albion’s title-winning opponents Liverpool at his pre-match press conference, saying: “I love the word consistency – and I think consistency means not only regarding performance, it’s not only regarding results.

“It’s how many games the likes of Salah and Van Dijk can play. MacAllister and Gravenberch, too.

“They could build a great connection on the pitch. They could build on a foundation. And that is something that is so crucial in the Premier League.

“The teams who have the highest availability of players, they are more successful, and that’s what I think made a difference.”

Hürzeler also praised his Liverpool counterpart Arne Slot, saying: “We had two very emotional duels at the beginning of the season.

“I am very impressed by him (and) how stable his team are, how active and how intense they were in all their games.

“It’s very impressive because I experienced myself how difficult it is to come into the Premier League and try to adapt, not only as a player but also as a coach.

“I can only pay him a big compliment. It is very impressive how his team is and how he has worked so far.”

Read full news in source page