Brighton v Chelsea injury news as six ruled-out and three doubts

De Zerbi has claimed two points from a possible 15 since replacing Potter after the former Albion boss and his management team upped sticks and moved to Stamford Bridge.

Brighton’s new Italian boss admits he needs a victory to get his Premier League career up and running but he may have to face Chelsea without the defensive talents of Joel Veltman.

Veltman came off during the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City last weekend with a calf injury and is struggling to regain full fitness in time for the Saturday 3pm showdown. Poland international Jakub Moder remains sidlined with his long-term ACL injury.

On the plus side however Kaoru Mitoma and Adam Lallana are back in training and could be included in the matchday squad.

Of the challenge against Chelsea, De Zerbi said: “I am happy in terms of the performances, but I can’t be 100 per cent happy because the results have not been good for us.

“I want to win our first game, to change the moment. The moment is not bad but when the results are not good you are a bit sad.

“The quality of play, the individual skills we show have been very good but, of course, we need that first win.”

Mateo Kovacic should be available for the visitors as Graham Potter makes his return to the south coast.

The midfielder came off late on in the Champions League win in Salzburg but was only suffering fatigue.

Kalidou Koulibaly (knee) is nearing a return but will miss out, as will longer-term absentees N’Golo Kante, Reece James and Wesley Fofana.

James, 22, is still in a brace after hurting his knee in Chelsea’s 2-0 Champions League win over AC Milan on October 11 – an injury Graham Potter suggested would sideline him for eight weeks, which would rule him out of the tournament in Qatar.

But with less than two weeks until Gareth Southgate is due to name his 26-man squad on November 10, James believes he still has a chance.

“I need to keep working hard over the next few weeks and see where I am on call-up day,” he told The Sun. “I will try and not rule myself out. It is still slow and in the early stages.

“I have been in rehab for two weeks, so I am still taking it day-by-day. The Chelsea medical staff have not given me a percentage of my chance of being back for the World Cup.

“It is down to how I feel closer to the time and how stable it is.”