REPUBLIC OF IRELAND international Aaron Connolly is in line for a return to the Brighton & Hove Albion matchday squad for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Southampton.
Seagulls boss Graham Potter has hinted that the 21-year-old striker could be included following an injury to Adam Lallana.
The former Liverpool man, Adam Webster and Jeremy Sarmietnto all sustained knocks in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, but Potter has played down injury fears, insisting he has plenty of cover for the Saints showdown.
Galway man Connolly is someone Potter will look to, after a frustrating, stop-start campaign which saw him ruled out of most recent international window.
A heel injury ultimately sidelined him, though Boys In Green boss Stephen Kenny addressed some other concerns at the time.
“We were hoping to get some minutes into him with the U23s, but it looks like he will be with the group come the weekend,” Potter said of Connolly, as quoted by The Argus.
“We are still in the process of checking on everyone and recovering. We will make some decisions [on Friday] if we need some of the U23s then, of course, we will use them, but at the moment, it doesn’t look like we will need to.”
One of the brightest stars of that U23 side is Irish teenager Evan Ferguson.
The former Bohemians striker has been lighting it up, scoring eight goals in 14 games, including a brace against the Crystal Palace U23s.
While Potter recognised the Irish U21 international’s “huge potential,” he urged patience as noise heightens for the Dubliner’s inclusion amongst first-team striking options.
“Evan is 17-years-old and has to be a little more patient with that,” the boss told The Argus separately this week. “Clearly, he is a guy we know well, and we like a lot. I think he needs to allow himself to grow and develop as a footballer, but his potential is huge.”
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