Pascal Gross has made a welcome return from injury as Brighton play a competitive encounter away from home for the first time in their history. Albion travel to Marseille seeking to bounce back after losing 3-2 to AEK Athens in their opening Europa League match.
They are also coming off a 6-1 Premier League setback at the hands of Aston Villa.
Gross, a versatile German international, has not played for Albion since the defeat to Athens.
He is one of five changes to the team that suffered a crushing defeat at Villa Park. Tariq Lamptey, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mahmoud Dahoud, and Ansu Fati, who scored his first goal for the club last weekend, have all been selected starters.
Adam Webster, Billy Gilmour, Jack Hinshelwood, and Evan Ferguson drop to the bench, although the Seagulls will be missing the recently injured Pervis Estupinan, who is expected to be out for a long time.
Estupinan, 25, has been a significant player of this Brighton team and is possibly the squad’s only natural left back. The Ecuador international was taken off at halftime against Aston Villa, and it’s now evident that it was an injury rather than a tactical decision.
“Estupinan is injured and won’t be able to play for a long time,” De Zerbi explained. We’re losing an essential player in him. We have [Tariq] Lamptey and Igor [Julio] who can play in that position.” The Italian added, according to Andy Naylor of the Athletic, “one month, more or less.” Muscular strain.”
Steele, Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk, Veltman, Dahoud, Gross, March, Mitoma, Fati, and Welbeck make up the Brighton XI.
Verbruggen, Igor, Webster, Joao Pedro, Gilmour, Baleba, Adingra, Ferguson, McGill, Buonanotte, Hinshelwood are the substitutes.
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