Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler has suggested Ibrahim Osman could play a bigger role this season after injuries to Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh opened the door for the young winger.
Osman impressed during Brighton's 3-0 pre-season victory over Roma, producing an eye-catching second-half display that continued his encouraging summer after returning from another loan spell.
While Hurzeler stopped short of confirming the Ghana international will remain at the club, the Brighton boss admitted he has been pleased with the 21-year-old's progress.
Hurzeler keeping an open mind
Signed from FC Nordsjælland in 2024 for around £16 million, Osman is still waiting to make his competitive debut for Brighton after loan spells with Feyenoord, Auxerre and Birmingham City.
His latest performance has strengthened his case ahead of the new campaign.
"I'm also impressed by him so far," Hurzeler said. Let's wait how this continues and then we make the best decision for him and for the club. But overall, I'm really happy and impressed by him as well."
The Brighton manager's comments suggest Osman remains firmly in contention as the club assesses its attacking options before the transfer window closes.
Injuries create opening
Mitoma is expected to miss the start of the Premier League season with a hamstring injury, while Minteh is also a doubt after limping off during the win over Roma and is set to undergo scans.
Those setbacks could provide Osman with the chance he has been waiting for.
Brighton still have several wide options, including summer signing Zadok Yohanna and academy graduate Harry Howell, while Amario Cozier-Duberry is also pushing for opportunities after an impressive loan spell at Bolton Wanderers.
With Premier League and UEFA Conference League football on the schedule this season, Hurzeler is likely to rotate his attacking options regularly.
Key points
- Fabian Hurzeler has praised Ibrahim Osman's pre-season performances.
- Osman impressed during Brighton's 3-0 win over Roma.
- Kaoru Mitoma is expected to miss the start of the season through injury.
- Yankuba Minteh is awaiting scan results after picking up a knock.
- The injuries could hand Osman his first competitive opportunity for Brighton.
What's next?
Brighton will assess Minteh's injury over the coming days while continuing to monitor Mitoma's recovery. Osman now has the opportunity to strengthen his case during the remainder of pre-season as Hurzeler finalises his squad for the opening weeks of the campaign.
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