Leicester team news: Mitoma doubtful

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Albion face the Foxes on Saturday.

Charlie Hanson

2025-04-11T10:00+01:00

Kaoru Mitoma has played in every Premier League game for Albion this season. 📷 by James Boardman.

Albion will look to return to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday as they take on Leicester City at the Amex, kick-off 3pm.

Team news

Kaoru Mitoma was substituted during the Crystal Palace game. 📷 by James Boardman.

On general squad fitness and Kaoru Mitoma, "I think there are not big changes. Kaoru [Mitoma] is doubtful. He will try to train today, but overall the rest are the same."

On replacing the suspended Jan Paul van Hecke, "Well we have different options. [Eiran] Cashin for sure will be an option. Mats [Wieffer] has already played there. Carlos Baleba is an option. We have several options, let's see how they do in training today [Friday]. Then we have to make a decision."

On potentially changing formation because of injury and suspension, "I didn't want to say, but we might have to do so."

Fabian's thoughts

On the team improving after throwing away their at the King Power Stadium earlier this season, "We analysed the game afterwards and we knew that our game management during this period of the season wasn't the best. We dropped a lot of points after having the lead in the game.

"So we are getting more and more mature as the season goes on. That's my feeling – we manage the games better. We have been through a process where we had to improve regarding our game management.

"I think that the game is in the past. It will be a new game tomorrow, it will be a new opportunity, a new challenge where I see my team at another level, where I see my team is more mature, where I see my team playing more professionally."

On watching Ruud van Nistelrooy growing up, "He was a great goalscorer, he wasn’t a coach when I was growing up. He did some unbelievable things. He was an unbelievable goalscorer. He also went to my biggest rivals in Germany when I managed St. Pauli – our biggest rivalry there was Hamburg and he played there.

"I have quite good memories of him when he was a player. He had an impressive career as a player and hopefully he will also have this career as a coach."

Match facts

After losing six of their first eight Premier League games against Leicester (D2), Brighton are now unbeaten in five against the Foxes in the league (W2 D3).

Leicester have lost their last two Premier League away games against Brighton, having won three of their previous four visits (D1). They’ve never lost three consecutive away league games against the Seagulls.

Brighton have lost both of their last two Premier League games, as many as their previous 13 beforehand (W6 D5). The Seagulls haven’t suffered more consecutive league defeats since March 2022 under Graham Potter (6).

Leicester have lost each of their last eight Premier League games without scoring a single goal – they could become the first team to lose nine consecutive top-flight games without reply in history.

Since hammering Wolves 6-0 on 29th April in 2023, Brighton have won none of their last seven Premier League games played in April (D2 L5), losing each of the last four in a row.

Only Southampton (5) have picked up fewer away Premier League points than Leicester City this season (8), with the Foxes losing nine of their last 10 on the road, including the last four in a row without scoring.

Leicester City haven’t won an away Premier League game against a team starting the day in the top-half of the table since May 2021 at Manchester United – they have picked up just four points in 24 games since then (D4 L20).

Brighton have won just 1.25 points per game in Premier League games against sides starting the day in the drop zone and have lost (14) more of these games than they’ve won (13), though they won 4-0 away at Southampton in February in their most recent of these games.

Danny Welbeck’s goal against Crystal Palace last time out made him Brighton’s all time highest Premier League goalscorer (31). He has eight goals this season, only netting more in both 2011-12 and 2013-14 (9).

Yankuba Minteh has been involved in seven goals in his last 10 Premier League starts for Brighton (4 goals, 3 assists). Overall, the 20-year-old has five goals and four assists, and only one African player has been involved in 10 goals in a season before turning 21 – Peter Ndlovu (10 in both 1992-93 and 1993-94 for Coventry).

Match officials