Japan’s Mitoma is a doubt for Asian cup after suffering ankle injury

The Asian Cup, in Qatar, begins on Jan. 12, while the AFCON starts in Ivory Coast the following day.

“Tomorrow we have more or less 10 injured players, maybe eight but (the other) two players can’t start the game,” Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said on Wednesday.

“Mitoma is one of them. We lost Kaoru for around six weeks — four, five, six weeks. Adingra, I think he needs four, five weeks (recovery). Tomorrow, no Mitoma, no Adingra.”

De Zerbi believes Brighton’s involvement in the Europa League may be a factor in their long list of injuries but accepts other Premier League managers, including Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, have faced similar issues.

“This season, a lot of injuries were unlucky because (Solly) March, Pervis Estupinan, (Julio) Enciso and Mitoma, they are not muscular injuries,” said De Zerbi. “We are paying maybe for playing every week three times.”

“I would like to play with the complete squad but Tottenham played a lot of games without seven, eight players and I never heard Postecoglou cry,” added the Italian. “It’s football and we have to accept it.

“I think we can compete in the same way. Maybe on the bench we have not the same quality with a complete squad but we have maybe more energy with the young players.”