- Matt O’Riley hobbled off on his debut after suffering an ankle injury
- It has now been confirmed that he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines
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Brighton‘s new signing Matt O’Riley is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up an ankle injury just nine minutes into his debut on Tuesday night.
O’Riley completed his £25m move from Celtic on Monday and was thrown straight into the starting XI to face Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup the following evening.
But his debut was ruined by a tackle that his manager Fabian Hurzeler branded ‘ridiculous’ as he hobbled off inside the opening 10 minutes before leaving the stadium on crutches.
Hurzeler has now confirmed O’Riley requires surgery, and was unable to confirm when the Australian may return.
‘He needs surgery on his ankle, Hurzeler told reporters.
Matt O’Riley suffered a serious ankle injury on his debut for Brighton on Tuesday night
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed O’Riley needs surgery and does not know when he will return
‘I can’t say how long he will be out but it’s serious injury as we expected.’
O’Riley’s injury is a major blow for Brighton after weeks of negotiations with Celtic to get a deal over the line.
They finally reached an agreement at the start of the week and O’Riley put pen to paper on a five-year deal.
His debut was cut short, though, and it could be some time before he is seen again in a Brighton shirt.
The Seagulls have splashed the cash this summer, spending £40m on Georginio Rutter and £33m on Yankuba Minteh.
Minteh, in particular, has impressed in the opening weeks of the season, with Brighton winning their first three games under Hurzeler, but they will now have to cope without O’Riley for an extended period.
