Tottenham may have a different prospect to deal with when they face Brighton & Hove Albion on December 28. And it may be an easier proposition than they would have expected.
Spurs face Everton on Saturday in their first fixture of the festive campaign, with the usual Boxing Day clash moved to December 28 when they travel to the south coast to take on Brighton.
That move by two days may help the Seagulls recover any injured players, with one moreadded to the treatment table on Thursday night. Brighton played out a 1-1 draw with fierce rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, but saw one of their stars leave the field early.
Kaoru Mitoma has been something of a revelation since arriving in the Premier League in 2022 — following a year's loan spell in the Belgian League with Union SG.
The Japan international notched 10 goals and eight assists for the Seagulls in 2022/23, and has three goals and six assists to his name already this season. He is, without doubt, one of Brighton's standout players.
But he may be missing against Tottenham. The forward hobbled off the pitch seven minutes from time during the draw in south London and he was spotted leaving the stadium on crutches and with a protective boot on his left foot, leaving Brighton fans worried.
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Mitoma was already due to be missing during January as he travels to the Asian Cup with Japan, but missing further games for the Seagulls will be a concern for head coach Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian was asked about Mitoma directly after the game, but could not offer much of an answer over his
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