'We are working with him' - Roberto De Zerbi discusses plans for Barcelona star ahead of crucial Premier League and Europa League games
Fati’s minutes have been carefully managed by the Brighton boss since his shock deadline day arrival.
The young forward is yet to start a Premier League game and was dragged off at half time in the EFL Cup defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday.
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Hide AdDe Zerbi stated he did this to protect the Spanish International from picking up an injury, ahead of two important games for the Albion against Aston Villa and Marseille in the next seven days.
The Italian coach said: “It was our plan for him to play 45 minutes against Chelsea. We are working to reach the best of his physical condition. If you lose training, if you lose days because you have an injury, it’s impossible to reach your best quickly. We are managing how much the players play.”
Brighton have the chance to move top of the league for a couple of hours when they face Aston Villa in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, September 30.
The Sussex side have been flying in the league this season, winning five of their first six league games and being the top-flight’s highest scorers with 18 goals.
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Hide AdDe Zerbi will also have one eye on this Thursday’s crucial Europa League tie away in Marseille. The Seagulls will be desperate to win in France, having failed to pick up any points on their Europa League debut against AEK Athens.
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Ahead of the crucial game in France next week, De Zerbi will likely shuffle his pack again for the Villa game, having made nearly 30 changes in Brighton’s last four games.
De Zerbi clarified that his selection policy was solely based on not taking risks and losing key players to injury, as the club continues to play the gruelling three-game-a-week schedule until the new year.
De Zerbi said: “When I choose the first XI, I have to consider the games the players have played before and the strategy of the game. In this moment I don’t want to take risks and lose the players, because you can see without Pascal Gross, Lewis Dunk and James Milner it’s a problem. I want to play with everyone, to give them the possibility to play. Then I have to analyse the performances.”