Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma will miss Europa League games against Roma with an ‘important’ back injury which could keep him out of action for three months.
Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi revealed at a press conference on Tuesday that the Japan international’s season could be over already because of an “important” back injury.
Mitoma, scorer of three goals in 26 appearances across all competitions this season, was not available for a Premier League game against Everton this past weekend.
“It’s the back injury which kept him out against Everton. It’s an important problem. I think two or three months, [so] finished [for] the season,” De Zerbi said on Tuesday as quoted by Brighton’s official website.
Roma and Brighton will meet in the Europa League Round of 16. The first leg will be played on March 7 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, while the decider will be played at the American Express Stadium in Brighton the following week, on March 14.
De Rossi and De Zerbi have shown mutual respect and revealed their daughters are such close friends that they meet at local Roma Clubs in London to watch the Giallorossi matches.