Brighton & Hove Albion will be without their joint top scorer Joao Pedro when they visit Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, where manager Fabian Hurzeler said that the Brazilian striker was omitted because of a “small problem in training”.
Pedro, who is equal to Danny Welbeck with 10 league goals this season, did not play in the 3-2 victory of Monday over champions Liverpool, with a report from the athletics that later reported the absence of the 23-year-old to a fight he had with a teammate during training.
“With Joao we had a small problem in the training, a type that is not unusual in all football clubs from time to time. We have treated it internally and the business was closed,” Hurzeler told reporters on Friday.
“Joao is an incredible football player. He is a competition winner for us. That's why we invested in him. But there are principles, there are values ​​… they are non-negotiable.
“Joao is still a young player, and (there is) still a lot of potential that he will grow. I am sure he will learn from this and return stronger next season.”
Pedro played for the last time for Brighton on April 19, when he was sent away for flickening his hand in the face of Brentford defender Nathan Collins during a loss of 4-2, an act that received a suspension of three games for violent behavior.
With the ninth placed Brentford three points under Brighton, a draw at Spurs ensures that the men of Hurzeler finish eighth, which could give them a place in the UEFA Conference League of the following season, created a number of other results.
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