All the latest team news for Brighton ahead of their Premier League clash at Everton
Watson, who arrived for around £10m from Sunderland, did not feature in pre-season and was not the match day squad of Albion’s season opening 1-1 draw against Fulham last Saturday.
The 18-old winger is said to be an “adaptation process” as he gets up to speed with the demands at Brighton and adapts to Hurzeler’s methods.
Brighton's summer signing Tommy Watson is yet to feature for the Seagullsplaceholder image
Brighton's summer signing Tommy Watson is yet to feature for the Seagulls
Watson has an outside chance of featuring against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this Sunday, but Wednesday’s League Cup tie against Championship club Oxford United could be more realistic.
“Yeah, he's pushing, he's training,” said Hurzeler to Sussex World.
"It's very important that he gets a whole training week without any modification, and then I'm sure that we will see him in the near future on the pitch.
"Maybe, maybe [Oxford]. Honestly, I don't know it yet. Maybe he's an option for Everton. Let's see the next few days.”
Watson’s favoured position is on the left side of the attack, a slot currently taken by Albion’s flying winger Kaoru Mitoma.
The Japan international has been first choice at Brighton for three seasons, while the versatile Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu can also play on the left.
Kadioglu was used from the bench against Fulham and started on the right wing before switching flanks after Brajan Guda’s introduction.
Kadioglu, 25, joined Brighton last summer for £25m from Fenerbahce but missed much of last term with a toe injury.
His outing against Fulham was his first Premier League action since November 2024.
“Really good,” said Hurzeler to Sussex World. “First appearance after his long injury. He showed why he's a national player, why he's a really important player for us.
"He's very good at decision-making, he's very good at understanding the game. I think he can play several positions, so he started as a right wing, he finished as a left wing, he already played like a left full-back, right full-back.
"These four positions are no problem for him to play in. So it's great to have a player who has that flexibility. We have it with Jack Henshelwood, now we have another one with Ferdi.”
Brighton are expecting a serious test against a fired-up Everton team determined to win their first ever Premier League match at their brand spanking new stadium.
David Moyes team lost their first match of the season at newly promoted Leeds United last weekend.
Hurzeler though is a fan of Everton boss Moyes and believes new signing Jack Grealish can make a major impact this term.
"David Moyes’ teams are always very, very organised, difficult to create chances against,” said the German.
"They are very clever in certain moments, they use every advantage they get. So you have to be awake all the time.
"You have to be awake when you have a corner against them and then there's a second phase. You have to be awake when there's a throw for them. So they're really good in these kind of things.
"And I think Jack Grealish has proved it so far that he's a great player. He proved it for City. I'm sure that he will help Everton because he has an unbelievable talent.
"I really like to watch him also in former times because I just think that he makes the football game more pure and he is a factor as to why people watch this game.”
Continue Reading