Brighton open their campaign with a heavily rotated side missing key attackers Mitoma and Ferguson, while Aston Villa are also without top scorer Watkins. The visitors have dominated recent meetings, winning all three and scoring freely at the Amex in a 4-3 thriller last season…
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Sign inBrighton kick off their 2026/27 Premier League campaign against Aston Villa on Sunday, 23 August, with both clubs contending with significant injury lists ahead of the season opener.
Fabian Hurzeler is without a host of attackers. Yankuba Minteh is sidelined for several weeks with a leg injury, while Kaoru Mitoma continues to recover from a hamstring issue. Carlos Baleba (ankle), Stefanos Tzimas (ACL) and Evan Ferguson (ankle surgery) are all unavailable. New defender Pascal Struijk has been managing an unspecified problem and is a doubt. In mitigation, Brighton have young wingers including Zadok Yohanna, Ibrahim Osman and Amario Cozier-Duberry ready to step up.
Unai Emery also faces a depleted squad. Amadou Onana, Leon Bailey, Johan Manzambi and Alejandro Garnacho are all ruled out through injury. Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez missed the UEFA Super Cup after World Cup duty, though they could return here. The second-half XI used against Borussia Monchengladbach – featuring Marco Bizot, Tyrone Mings, Victor Lindelof, Boubacar Kamara and Tammy Abraham – offers the clearest hint at Villa’s likely shape.
Brighton ended pre-season in strong form, winning four of their last five matches. Highlights included back-to-back 4-3 victories over Strasbourg and a 3-0 win against Roma, before a 1-0 success against Bologna. Their only defeat in that run was a 3-0 loss to Manchester United on the final day of the 2025/26 league season. Hurzeler’s side scored 12 goals in those four wins, though the absence of Minteh and Mitoma will test their depth.
Villa’s pre-season was a mixed bag. They recorded big wins over Walsall (5-0) and BG Pathum United (3-1), but lost to Porto, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, PSG and Borussia Monchengladbach. All five of those matches saw both teams score and produced over 2.5 goals. Emery’s men will need to tighten up defensively after conceding 11 times in five games, especially with Brighton’s quick transitions a known threat.
With Mitoma and Minteh missing, Brighton’s young wingers must break down a Villa backline likely to include Tyrone Mings and Victor Lindelof. Georginio Rutter is expected to lead the line, though his best work comes as a No 10. Villa will look to exploit Brighton’s own reshaped defence, where record signing Luka Vuskovic could partner Pascal Struijk if fit. The match may hinge on who settles quicker amid the enforced changes.
Brighton face a swift turnaround with the return leg of their Conference League play-off against Tromso on Thursday, which may influence Hurzeler’s selection. Villa have a clearer week to prepare for their next fixture as they aim to start the season with a statement result.
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