Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has offered a cautiously optimistic assessment of the fitness situations surrounding Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter as his side prepares to travel to Chelsea this weekend.
Both players were absent for Thursday's commanding 4-0 Conference League victory over Tromso, with Hinshelwood picking up what was described as a minor issue in training the day before the match. While some reports suggested the 21-year-old midfielder could be sidelined for as long as six weeks, Hurzeler moved to temper those concerns, indicating the setback was not as serious as initially feared.
Speaking to reporters, the German coach explained that he had not yet had the chance to assess either player in training on the day of his press conference, but suggested there remained a possibility that one of the two could be included in the matchday squad against Chelsea.
"With both, we have to be patient," Hurzeler said. "I didn't see them yet today but there might be a chance for one of them to be in the squad."
Despite the more positive tone, Hurzeler was careful not to overstate Hinshelwood's readiness, acknowledging that the timeline may simply be too tight for the youngster to feature this weekend.
"He had a small issue in a training session, nothing big, but for the weekend it might be too close," Hurzeler explained. He went on to suggest that supporters should not expect a rushed return, adding: "I think with Jack we have to be more patient. Let's see how the next weeks are going."
Rutter's situation appears to be further along in comparison. Hurzeler expressed greater confidence that the forward could be involved against Chelsea, even if his involvement is not yet guaranteed.
"With Gini I see a higher chance that he might be part of the squad," the Brighton boss said.
Rather than commit to a fixed date for either player's return, Hurzeler indicated that Brighton would continue to monitor their progress on a day-to-day basis, avoiding unnecessary risk while keeping options open for the coming fixtures.
Despite the uncertainty over two potentially important squad members, Hurzeler struck an upbeat tone regarding his side's overall depth and squad management philosophy. He stressed that losing players to injury, while never ideal, is simply part of a long season and should not derail the team's broader ambitions.
"It's always a massive loss to lose important players but I will never complain about this," he said. "We will find solutions for that. We will have good replacements."
The 32-year-old manager went further, outlining a philosophy that emphasizes squad depth over reliance on individual contributors, a mindset he has consistently promoted since taking charge at the Amex.
"A team should never rely on one player," Hurzeler added. "A team should be capable of replacing players."
Brighton's emphatic win over Tromso in the Conference League demonstrated that the squad can cope even without key contributors, and Hurzeler will be hoping similar depth can be called upon against a well-organized Chelsea side this weekend. With both Hinshelwood and Rutter's involvement still uncertain, the Seagulls' manager appears prepared to adapt his selection based on the latest fitness updates in the build-up to kickoff, rather than take any unnecessary gambles with his squad's health.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.