Predicted Brighton Lineup To Face Fortuna Dusseldorf In The Pre-Season Friendly
Brighton begin their Premier League preparations in earnest on Friday with a friendly game against German outfit Fortuna Dusseldorf.
As always it’s very difficult to know which way Chris Hughton will go for the Seagulls’ first pre-season outing and which formation he will choose, but based on what we know, here is how they may line up at the Sportsplaz St. Ulrich in Austria.
Formation: 4-4-2
GK – Mathew Ryan
The Aussie ‘keeper signed from Valencia a short while ago and Brighton are hoping that he represents a further step up in quality from their admirable stopper David Stockdale.
RB – Bruno
The club captain is 36 years old now but is still going strong and will need these games to get to full fitness after the summer break.
CB – Uwe Hunemeier
The experienced German may line-up, as usual, next to Dunk, at least for now.
CB – Lewis Dunk
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Dunk has ‘England’ written all over him and it’ll be great to see him eventually play at Premier League level; where he belongs.
LB – Gatean Bong
It’s easier to see Brighton looking to strengthen the left-back position but for now, Bong may be given the call in pre-season.
RW – Anthony Knockaert
The midfield and forward areas are places where Brighton are well-off in numbers, but Knockaert stands out and the Belgian has no worries over his position in the side.
CM – Dale Stephens
Like Dunk, I personally see Stephens as a player who has been vastly underrated in the past and will come into his own in the Premier League. A good start against Fortuna will ensure he stays at the top of Hughton’s thoughts.
CM – Pascal Gross
The 26-year-old German was signed recently from Ingolstadt and will slot nicely into the middle of Brighton’s line-up. He’s a good competition for Steve Sidwell at the very least.
LW – Jamie Murphy
The Glasgow-born winger may start in this position but it seems the club are on the lookout for new faces in this area.
SS – Sam Baldock
May form part of a very experienced front two, though again reinforcements are on the to-do list for Brighton when it comes to their strike force you feel.
ST – Glenn Murray
He is 33 now and perhaps not the man to keep them safe from the front next season, but Murray was admirable last time round in the Championship and of now has a place in the XI.