Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler has revealed that new signing Femi Azeez is carrying a slight injury and is unlikely to make his Premier League debut against Leeds United, Footynaija.com reports.
The Nigerian forward completed his move from EFL Championship side Millwall on transfer deadline day, signing a four-year contract with the Seagulls after the club pushed hard to secure his services.
However, Azeez could now be forced to wait for his first appearance for his new club after Hurzeler provided an update on his fitness ahead of Saturday’s fixture.
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“Femi [Azeez] is obviously carrying a slight injury at the moment. I think Chema can definitely be an option for tomorrow. With Femi, we have to wait this weekend and hopefully he will be available for the next game,” Hurzeler said during Friday’s press conference.
Apparently, Azeez is still nursing a slight issue developed during his involvement in Millwall’s opening game of the season where he had to go off in the first half after feeling something in his hamstring.
His fitness setback aside, the 25-year-old arrives at Brighton after an impressive campaign with the Lions, where he recorded 11 goals and eight assists in 37 appearances last season.
His performances helped establish him as one of the Championship’s most outstanding attacking players and convinced Brighton to part with an initial £12.5 million, with the fee potentially rising beyond £15 million through add-ons.
Azeez had been expected to provide another attacking option for Hurzeler following his move to the Amex Stadium, but his immediate focus will now be on recovering from the minor setback.
Brighton will face Leeds on Saturday, while Azeez will hope to return to full fitness in time to make his debut in their next outing against Coventry City.
