Get all the most recent information about Brighton & Hove Albion’s roster and injuries during the Premier League.

Brighton chairman Tony Bloom is optimistic that £25m summer signing Matt O’Riley will return later this season after successfully undergoing ankle surgery. O’Riley, 23, who joined from Celtic this summer, suffered ankle ligament damage just six minutes into his debut against Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup, following a rough challenge from Crawley captain Jay Williams. Although the referee didn’t penalize the tackle at the time, Crawley manager Scott Lindsey later apologized.

O’Riley, a Denmark international, had surgery on Monday and now faces an extended recovery period. This is a significant setback for both the player and the club, as O’Riley was expected to play a crucial role this season, particularly after the club sold midfielders Pascal Gross and Billy Gilmour during the summer.

In an interview on the Albion podcast, Bloom expressed his disappointment over the incident but confirmed the operation’s success. He said, “We are all really looking forward to seeing him back later this year. It’s crucial to bring in players with the right personality, and from what I’ve seen and heard, everyone is fitting in well.”

Brighton spent over £200m in the summer transfer window, but Bloom cautioned that such spending won’t become routine for the club. He added, “We did a lot of business this transfer window. I’m not expecting much in the next two or three windows, even if one or two key players leave, because we have strong talent coming through.”