Matt O’Riley suffered an injury during his Brighton debut, following a rough challenge that appeared severe. The former Celtic star joined the Seagulls for a record-breaking £30 million—setting a new Scottish football transfer fee—and his impressive form in the Premiership suggested he was worth every bit of the investment.
However, his progress was disrupted by a harsh tackle during his first match against Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup, as confirmed by manager Fabian Hurzeler. The Danish playmaker had been eager to make an immediate impact, but the setback delayed his start.
Despite this, there’s still plenty of time for the 23-year-old to leave his mark this season, and fans recently noticed a positive sign hinting at a sooner-than-expected return. Footage shared by the club’s social media showed O’Riley back on the training pitch, participating in drills away from the main squad.
Brighton shared a clip of their new star training alone to regain fitness, captioned: “Getting closer,” with a Denmark flag, suggesting his return is near. However, manager Hurzeler confirmed that O’Riley would not be ready for the upcoming match against Newcastle at St James’ Park.
O’Riley’s Brighton debut ended abruptly after just eight minutes, following a high challenge on his ankle from Jai Williams of Crawley Town. Although Williams surprisingly escaped a straight red card, Brighton still cruised to a 4-0 victory at the Amex Stadium.
O’Riley’s transfer to the Premier League was fueled by his outstanding performance for Celtic, where he earned numerous Player of the Year awards. Last season, he registered 19 goals and 18 assists, making it the most productive campaign of his career.
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