Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has revealed that Lewis Dunk has been playing through ‘pain’ this season.
The Seagulls skipper has made 27 appearances in all competitions so far this campaign, playing a key role in leading his side to victory over Brentford on Saturday and thus putting an end to their torrid run of form.
Hurzeler leaned on an experienced lineup to battle to a 2-0 win over the Bees, with veterans James Milner, Dunk and Danny Welbeck all impressing as Brighton bounced back to winning ways.
Speaking after the victory, the former St. Pauli boss went on to laud his skipper for his resilience, both at the Gtech Community Stadium and generally, given that he is still nursing a knee problem.
Hurzeler told The Argus: “Our skipper came from a tough period. I know he has pain, but he keeps going for the club. He keeps going for the team.
“And I think JP (Jan Paul van Hecke) is a role model regarding winning mentality. He always wants to get better, he always wants to push everyone. They showed a good performance, and that was the benchmark, and hopefully they can keep doing it.”
Pushed on the exact injury that has been niggling Dunk, the German continued: “I think he struggled sometimes with his knee, but through the whole season.
“People don’t know it, and I think it’s very important to get an understanding of what he sacrifices for the team, what he is doing for the team to get us out of this situation, and I think it’s just impressive.”
Dunk struggled for form and fitness on several occasions last season, and the summer additions of Olivier Boscagli and Diego Coppola led to assumptions that the 34-year-old would spend this campaign as a fringe player.
However, he has remained one of the first names on the team sheet under Hurzeler and has been one of the few players to emerge with credit after a difficult few months.