Brighton lineup vs. Aston Villa: Predicted XI for Premier League clash

Brighton & Hove Albion are set to be without six players for Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Jan Paul van Hecke scored twice in the Seagulls’ 4-3 home defeat to Villa two months ago, but he is ruled out of this week’s game with a thigh injury and is joined in the treatment room by Stefanos Tzimas, Adam Webster, Solly March (all knee), Mats Wieffer (ankle/foot) and Yasin Ayari (shoulder).

Under-pressure head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who has won just one of his last 12 Premier League games (D6 L5), is expected to freshen up his starting lineup after watching his Brighton side suffer a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to M23 rivals Crystal Palace last weekend.

In the absence of Van Hecke, Olivier Boscagli is set to continue alongside captain Lewis Dunk at centre-back as Ferdi Kadioglu and Maxim De Cuyper operate as full-backs.

Seventeen-year-old Harry Howell was surprisingly handed his full PL debut last time out, but the midfielder could be replaced in the first XI against Villa by either Jack Hinshelwood, Diego Gomez or Matt O’Reilly, who recently returned from a loan spell at Marseille.

James Milner is also in contention to feature and the 40-year-old midfielder will equal Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance record of 653 games if he plays in some capacity against his former club Villa.

In attack, Kaoru Mitoma is expected to continue on the left flank, but Danny Welbeck and Yakuba Minteh are both pushing to earn a recall at the expense of Charalampos Kostoulas and Georginio Rutter.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Gomez, Baleba, Gross; Minteh, Welbeck, Mitoma

> Click here to see how Aston Villa could line up for this contest