Brighton loanees return and injury boost: Three things spotted in training ahead of Stoke City FA Cup clash

Albion reached the semi-finals of the competition last season and beat the Potters on the way, before falling to Manchester United at Wembley on penalties.

The Seagulls may prioritise finishing as high as possible in the Premier League and going deep in the Europa League this season, but Roberto De Zerbi will not take this competition lightly.

Now, ahead of Saturday’s cup tie at bet365 Stadium, here are a few things spotted in the club's latest training session at the Amex Elite Football Performance Centre on Thursday.

Recalled loanees in training

Going by the club’s photos, Cameron Peupion and Jensen Weir, both 21, headed out on loan to League One sides Cheltenham Town and Blackpool respectively last summer but both have returned to Brighton after recalls.

The youngsters both struggled for game time, especially Peupion, and while they are likely to spend the second half of the season at another team to continue their development, they are currently training with Albion’s first-team group.

Being able to train under head coach Roberto De Zerbi is always a valuable experience and there is no doubt they will learn something from it.

Under-21s take centre stage

Brighton have a hefty injury list, often going into double figures at times this season. Therefore, De Zerbi has had to rely on the club’s academy stars, such as Evan Ferguson and Jack Hinshelwood, with Joshua Duffus and Benicio Baker-Boaitey making their first-team debuts, too,

Ahead of the Stoke clash, under-21 players such as Duffus, Imari Samuels, Baker-Boaitey, and Leigh Kavanagh were all spotted in training. Perhaps they are in line to make their FA Cup debuts over the weekend…

Positive signs

While Ansu Fati, Julio Enciso, Kaoru Mitoma, Simon Adingra, Joel Veltman, Solly March, and Tariq Lamptey are all out injured, it seems Pervis Estupinan is stepping up his return to full fitness after coming through unscathed from half a match against Tottenham on December 28 and a full game away to West Ham on Tuesday.

The Ecuadorian international was spotted in training alongside his teammates and looks fit for the Stoke game. Adam Webster suffered cramp against the Hammers in what was his first game in nearly two months but he downplayed any injury fears. It remains to be seen if he, and Igor Julio, will feature for this match, with De Zerbi set to provide a team news update on Friday.