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Brighton & Hove Albion striker Stefanos Tzimas has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate knee ligament (ACL) rupture.
The 19-year-old was hurt in innocuous circumstances during the first half of his first Premier League start, the 4-3 defeat against Aston Villa at the Amex Stadium on December 3.
Tzimas planted his feet and twisted a knee in the turf when closing down Villa defender Pau Torres. He limped off after 24 minutes following lengthy treatment.
Head coach Fabian Hurzeler said during his press briefing on Friday for Sunday’s 1-1 home draw against West Ham that Tzimas had suffered a “long-term injury” and was set to be out for “months”. The full extent of the injury has been confirmed by tests and surgery will rule him out until pre-season in 2026.
The injury is cruelly timed for Tzimas, just as he was making first-team headway. His full league debut against Villa was cut short three days after scoring his first league goal as a substitute to seal a 2-0 victory at Nottingham Forest. Tzimas has scored three goals in 12 appearances overall since a £20million move from German side Nurnberg, netting twice in a 6-0 win away to Oxford United in the Carabao Cup in August.
The absence of Tzimas does not necessarily increase the chances of Evan Ferguson returning in January from a season-long loan with Roma, as he is regarded by Brighton as a different type of striker to Tzimas. The 21-year-old Republic of Ireland international has scored once in 14 outings for the Serie A club, including six starts.
Roma are at Celtic on Thursday in the Europa League. Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini, speaking to Italian media ahead of the match in Glasgow, said: “There’s no dislike or sympathy for the players; it’s their performances. Ferguson has had plenty of chances, but of course we’re waiting for him. He’s young, and we can expect him to perform better, not so much technically.
“I hadn’t had a direct relationship with (Mario) Hermoso, but his technical and dressing room qualities have allowed him to be a pillar. I truly hope that’s the case for Ferguson too, that he can express all this from now on.”