Premier League rule means Brighton star is likely to miss West Ham United clash
Jan Paul van Hecke of Brighton is a serious doubt for their Premier League matchup against West Ham on Saturday.
After Brighton’s 4-2 loss to Brentford on Saturday, Van Hecke sustained a serious head injury in the closing minutes.
“We appreciate all the messages of support and concern you have sent us for JP.”
Following a one-match suspension for the 2-2 draw against Leicester City, the 24-year-old made his comeback to the starting lineup at the Gtech Community Stadium, but it was a concerning occurrence.
On social media, Van Hecke wrote: “I feel so much better! I am grateful to the medical professionals for their attention. We were really disappointed with the outcome and our play.
“Unfortunately, we/you did not anticipate the past few weeks to be as they were. There is only one choice: continue to put in the effort and aim to improve for the next game. I’ll see you shortly.
The medical staff at Albion will be closely examining Van Hecke this week. Because of the Premier League’s concussion policies, a player who has been suspected of having a concussion cannot return for at least six days.
Van Hecke may be able to play at Amex Stadium under such rules, but head coach Fabian Hurzeler won’t take any chances, even though his defence is leaking more and more.
Joel Veltman (foot), Tariq Lamptey (foot), Adam Webster (hamstring), and Igor Julio (hamstring) are absent at the moment.
Brighton needs to have a great season finale if they hope to qualify for Europe next season, as their recent poor play has dropped them to 10th place in the league rankings.
The adversaries on Saturday Under former Brighton manager Graham Potter, West Ham has struggled this season and currently sits 17th in the league.
