Fabian Hurzeler is confident Brighton will have enough energy to challenge Manchester City again on Saturday after deciding against travelling back to the south coast between their two fixtures at the Etihad Stadium.
The Seagulls suffered Carabao Cup disappointment on Wednesday, losing to Manchester City on penalties after an entertaining quarter-final finished 2-2 in normal time. However, Hurzeler is already looking ahead to their Premier League rematch, with Brighton remaining in the north-west for three days to prioritise recovery and preparation.
Rather than putting his squad through another long journey before the weekend fixture, the Brighton manager believes staying nearby offers his players the best opportunity to recover from the midweek battle.
Hurzeler acknowledged that spending several days away from home is not necessarily an advantage, but insisted his team would not use fatigue or travel as an excuse when they return to action.
“Having two away games and not sleeping in your own bed, you can’t see it as an advantage but we will try to make the best of it. We will not try to find any excuses.
“We have good facilities and a lot of staff members who can take care of the recovery from the players and that is the main focus. We’ll come back with full energy, full enthusiasm and we go on Saturday.”
Brighton will now look to turn their attention back to the Premier League, where another demanding encounter against Pep Guardiola’s side awaits. The midweek contest demonstrated that the Seagulls can compete with City, although they will need to maintain their intensity and take their chances if they are to leave Manchester with a positive result.
Hurzeler is also expected to make significant changes to his starting line-up after rotating his squad for Wednesday’s cup tie. The Brighton manager made seven changes, leaving several regular starters on the bench as he managed the demands of a busy schedule.
Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, defenders Luka Vuskovic and Lewis Dunk, and Maxim De Cuyper were among those who did not start the quarter-final. Their potential return to the starting line-up could provide Brighton with greater continuity and experience for the Premier League encounter.
Yankuba Minteh is another player to watch after making his first appearance of the season as a late substitute in midweek. The winger has been sidelined by a knee injury, and he will hope to build on that return by earning more minutes against City.
For Hurzeler, the priority is clear: recover quickly, prepare effectively and approach Saturday’s match without excuses. After coming close to reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Brighton now have another opportunity to test themselves against one of the Premier League’s leading sides.
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