Football News

Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson has been reassured he is still the future of Brighton & Hove Albion despite being ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Ferguson, 19, will miss not only Thursday’s Premier League game at home to title-chasing Manchester City but also the remainder of the campaign.

It is a huge blow to the Bettystown-born teenager, who has scored three goals in 12 caps for his country following an outstanding breakthrough season in 2022-23.

But he has found the current campaign far tougher, despite beginning it with a goal against Luton on the opening day and then scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Newcastle.

Now his club manager Roberto De Zerbi has revealed he will not play again until pre-season.

The Italian said: “He felt pain in the ankle a lot of times. He tried to move on and play with pain, but in the end he preferred to stop and think about next season.

“It has been difficult. Evan played the first five games and he scored three goals against Newcastle but he’s hardly played since then. He is out for the rest of the season."

Ferguson’s set-backs also include a missed penalty for Ireland against Belgium (although he also scored in the 4-0 victory in Gibraltar), and spending many matches on the bench for Brighton in a season in which Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro have been regularly chosen ahead of him.

But De Zerbi is adamant this is only a minor blip for a player who was linked with Manchester United and Liverpool last season – but who signed a new long-term contract with Brighton in November.

De Zerbi said: “We have to make a difference between injuries and the way of his career.

“The injuries you can’t control. The journey in terms of progressing is different.

Roberto De-Zerbi Danny Welbeck Evan Ferguson