Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler has provided an update on Nigerian forwards Femi Azeez and Zadok Yohanna ahead of the club’s Europa Conference League clash with FK Kauno Zalgiris on Thursday.
The Seagulls are preparing for their first European fixture of the season, but the availability of the two Nigerian youngsters remains uncertain as they continue adjusting to the demands of senior football at the Premier League club.
Azeez, who joined Brighton from Millwall, is yet to make his first-team debut. The forward was initially sidelined by injury but has since recovered and is now working towards earning his opportunity under Hurzeler.
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The Brighton boss has indicated that the 24-year-old’s situation is not a major concern, explaining that the club are focused on helping him adapt to their playing style and the intensity of training.
“Some players need more time to adapt to the intensity,” Hurzeler said via the Argus.
“It’s a little bit similar to Zadok (Yohanna) that we try to give them the environment where they can adapt to our demands, to how we want to play.
“These kinds of players might need a little bit longer but there’s not a big issue, something I can report to you.
“Just a thing of adapting and let’s see how fast he will adapt and then I’m sure that he will make his first team debut quite soon.”
Yohanna has already made his Premier League debut for Brighton, giving him an early taste of the demands at the highest level of English football.
However, the Nigerian youngster could also miss Thursday’s European encounter as the club carefully manages his integration into the first-team setup.
