Brighton & Hove Albion are once again flying under Roberto De Zerbi this season, sitting as high as seventh, having already secured convincing victories over Manchester United and Newcastle United. Meanwhile, the Seagulls earned their first point in a battling 2-2 draw against Ligue 1 Marseille in the Europa League.
To make things even better, this is all after losing Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister in the summer. The fact is, the job that De Zerbi is doing is one of the most impressive in not only the Premier League, but also European football as a whole, and now the manager has received yet another boost.
Brighton injury updates and team news
After losing both Mac Allister and Caicedo in the summer, the last thing Brighton needed was injuries in midfield. Yet, just nine games into the Premier League season, and they're already without Julio Enciso and Solly March, With games coming thick and fast in both Europe and domestic competitions, however, they needed a positive on the availability front at some stage, and they've got just that ahead of games against Ajax and Fulham.
The latest Jakub Moder injury news has handed De Zerbi an undoubted boost. As reported by The Sussex Express, the midfielder is finally back in full training after missing over a year through an ACL injury sustained against Norwich City in April 2022. This means that Moder is yet to even make an appearance under De Zerbi, highlighting just how long he's been forced to watch on from the sidelines.
Moder comes back in at a good time, though, as the Seagulls look to secure their first Europa League win against Ajax, and return to winning ways in the Premier League against Fulham.
What happened to Jakub Moder?
Having joined Brighton for a reported £7m in the summer of 2020, before heading out on loan back to Lech Poznan until the end of the calender year, Moder finally got his Brighton career going in the following season under Graham Potter, before injury struck. And, ever since, the 24-year-old has had a nightmare spell.
Following his ACL injury in April 2022, Moder had two surgeries, missing the end of the 2021/22 season, as well as the entirety of the last campaign, in which Brighton achieved a Europa League place. Now, finally back in training, the Polish midfielder won't be rushed back in, but he will at least begin to work his way back into the squad for the first time under De Zerbi.
When fully fit and at his best, Moder has earned plenty of praise in the past, including from former Poland boss Paulo Sousa, who told TV Sport, via The Argus: “I don’t like to individualise. The last game at Brighton in the Premier League was amazing. Of course the tempo is different. To integrate and to play more regularly in these top leagues is not easy. Technically he is a great player. He is a big lad physically. What he needs to improve a lot is the intensity.”