Brighton confirm major injury blow ahead of Stoke and West Ham – moments after Fulham loss

Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi will be missing key players but still wants a trip to Wembley during his first season in English football.

The Italian took charge at Brighton last September after previous boss Graham Potter moved to the riches of Chelsea. De Zerbi has impressed in the Albion dugout as they are eighth in the Premier League and targeting European qualification. The Seagulls have also made good progress in the FA Cup and victory at the Bet365 Stadium will see them through to the quarter-finals.

“For us, the FA Cup is very important,” said De Zerbi, whose side were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by League One Charlton in December. “Tomorrow is not an important game, it’s a crucial game because we want to arrive in Wembley to play the semi-final. OK, there will be another game (quarter-final) if we win tomorrow but we have to stay focused on only Stoke. We know very well what happened in the Charlton game. We remember very well.”

Experienced striker Danny Welbeck could return from injury against the Potters but Solly March will sit out with a minor issue, in addition to Pervis Estupinan, Levi Colwill, Billy Gilmour and Adam Lallana. Estupinan hobbled off during the painful 1-0 loss against Fulham, while March has failed to recover in time.

Lewis Dunk is set to make his 400th appearance for Brighton against the Potters. “If you ask me what I think about Dunk, I think he’s one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League,” De Zerbi said. “This is my opinion but I know well his potential, his standard of performances.”