AARON CONNOLLY IS in line to feature for Brighton & Hove Albion tonight when they begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a second-round fixture against fellow Premier League outfit Southampton.
Brighton manager Chris Hughton has confirmed that Connolly and Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres will both be in his squad after the pair combined for a goal while playing for the club’s U23 side in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Friday.
While Connolly provided the assist on that occasion, he did score a stoppage-time equaliser at the Emirates Stadium seven days earlier to secure a share of the spoils against Arsenal.
“Viktor Gyokeres and Aaron Connolly will certainly be in the squad and come into the reckoning,” former Ireland defender Hughton said ahead of tonight’s game at the Amex Stadium.
“Whether one of them will start, at this moment, I’m not sure. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do in terms of who’s available and not take any chances.”
👏 “I support @Arsenal and came to watch them a few times when I was younger, so it was a great feeling to come off the bench and score!"
— Brighton & Hove Albion ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) August 22, 2018
🎯 @AaronConnolly_9 #BHAFC 🔵⚪️
Read ➡️ https://t.co/mbqclTLgDX pic.twitter.com/54mAuUSZxm
Connolly only turned 18 earlier this year but he has already tasted first-team action for Brighton. Just over 12 months ago he was introduced as a second-half substitute in a Carabao Cup victory over Barnet. Fellow Irish youngsters Jayson Molumby and Dessie Hutchinson (now at Waterford) also featured in that campaign.
A native of Galway, Connolly joined Brighton in 2016 from Mervue United. He was Ireland’s leading goalscorer, netting eight times in six games, as the Boys in Green qualified for the U17 European Championships in 2017.
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