Brighton -Baas Fabian Hurzeler has refused to select Joao Pedro for their last game of the season against Tottenham on Sunday despite the European hope of the Seagulls hanging in the balance
Joao Pedro will not be in Brighton's team to face Tottenham on Sunday opposite Tottenham, while the fall-out of his training ground is fighting with teammate Jon Paul van Hecke.
The £ 30 million striker was a surprising omission of Albion's Teamsheet for the 3-2 victory against Liverpool on Monday, with news about the bus-up only after the game. And Brighton -manager Fabian Hurzeler insists that the Brazilian, who has 10 goals and seven assists this season, will also not travel to Spurs.
Hurzeler confirmed: “Joao will not be in the team. 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 issue is closed.
“Joao is an incredible football player. He is a match winner for us and he is a great player. That is why we have invested in him. But there are principles, they are not negotiable and everyone has to keep to them. Everyone has to keep to them and I don't make compromises.”
The hard line of Hurzeler has warned a series of clubs that are connected this month to Joao Pedro on the transfer market. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been mentioned in recent weeks and as Brighton decides to cash in, there will certainly be customers.
Hurzeler, however, says that the player still has a future in Albion. He added: “Joao is still a young player and there is still a lot of potential where he will grow, and I am sure he will learn from this and will return strongly next season.
“I am really looking forward to seeing him renewed and revived and revived and new life in the peak for us and that is all I will say about this.” The incident comes for Brighton at a bad moment because they still go to Tottenham on Sunday with a chance to earn European football.
A victory in Noord -Londs, together with a defeat from Chelsea in Nottingham Forest, could open the route if the blues started to win the Conference League next week. But with Brentford also with a chance like Brighton slipping away, Hurzeler knows that his team should remain focused.
He said: “The only thing we can influence is our result and our preparation for the game and that is what we try to do. The other results that we cannot influence, we try to concentrate on ourselves.” An aspect in favor of Brighton is that the players of Tottenham clearly enjoyed their parties after winning the Europa League with a victory over Manchester United in Bilbao in midweek.
But Hurzeler was cautious about any suggestion that would make life easier for his side. He said: “We don't know. That is one of the questions I have been asked the most in recent hours, but my answer will always be the same.
“I cannot influence how they celebrate or how they will prepare for the game. The only things I can influence are how we prepare our team, and we will try to be the best prepared team we can be. That is our focus.” Brighton has no new injuries on his way to the game and Lewis Dunk can be in battle again.