Brighton fear Tariq Lamptey could be out until February after the England U21 defender suffered setback to hamstring injury that has kept him out of Graham Potter’s side for last four matches
- Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey has missed the last four games with injury
- Graham Potter claims the England U21 star has had a setback with his hamstring
- The Seagulls now fear Lamptey could remain on the sidelines until February
- Lamptey has impressed for Brighton this season and is a popular transfer target
Brighton have suffered a significant blow ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County after revealing rising star Tariq Lamptey could be out until early February following a set-back on his return from injury.
Lamptey has been Albion’s shining light at right-back this season but has already missed four games with a hamstring injury suffered in a goalless draw at Fulham in mid-December.
Now manager Graham Potter has brought fans the bad news they feared after the England U21 star was left out of the squad to face Newport at Rodney Parade.
Brighton fear Tariq Lamptey could be out until February after a setback to a hamstring issue
Seagulls boss Graham Potter (above) claims Lamptey will have to take ‘a couple of steps back’
‘He’s had a set-back,’ Potter explained. ‘On the back end of his rehabilitation he just felt the hamstring again.
‘He will probably have to take a couple of steps back, which is disappointing for us and obviously for him too. It means he is going to be out for a few more weeks yet.’
The news could not have come at a worse time for Brighton who have won only once since the start of September and currently sit just one place and three points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Lamptey, 20, will now miss games against Manchester City, Leeds, Fulham, Tottenham and potentially Liverpool, too, in early February.
Lamptey (above) has impressed for Brighton this season but has missed the last four games
The news is also a blow for a string of clubs who have been watching the young player’s form closely ahead of the January transfer window.
He made an instant impact on the south coast after leaving Chelsea in January 2020 where he found his pathway to the first team blocked by Reece James, and reports are already valuing him at more than £23m. That’s £20m more than Brighton paid a year ago.
Since then, his pace, energy and directness has attracted the attention of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and most recently Arsenal, who fear they will need a replacement for Hector Bellerin if Barcelona make an approach for the Spaniard this month or in the summer.