Brighton suffer Carlos Baleba injury blow ahead of 2026-27 season
The midfielder has picked up an ankle injury.
Carlos Baleba, a midfielder for Brighton & Hove Albion, is doubtful for the start of the 2026–2027 season. All due to an ankle ligament injury.
Although Baleba is anticipated to be sidelined for a while, Brighton hope the issue is temporary.
The Cameroonian international missed Brighton’s 4-3 victory over Strasbourg on Saturday due to an injury he received during preseason.
On Thursday, August 20, Fabian Hurzeler’s team will start their season. They will play the away leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off against Tromso or CFR Cluj. This will be after additional friendlies against AS Roma and Bologna.
Three days later, Brighton take on Aston Villa at home to begin their Premier League season.
Carlos Baleba ruled out for start of new season with injury
Manchester United expressed interest in Baleba at the conclusion of the last campaign. But the 22-year-old’s move has not come to pass. In order to bolster their midfield, United moved for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans instead of Baleba this season.
After joining Brighton from LOSC Lille in the summer of 2023, Baleba has made 31 appearances in the Premier League so far.
During the current transfer window, Brighton acquired Costinha, Zadok Yohanna, Pascal Struijk, Luka Vuskovic, and Michael Svoboda.
The injury to Baleba is devastating. Brighton’s season starts earlier than usual on August 20 when they play the away leg of a Europa Conference League match against either Romanian team Cluj or Norwegian team Tromso. Three days later, Brighton’s Premier League campaign starts at home against Aston Villa.
However, head coach Fabian Hurzeler is used to changing his midfield choices. Baleba’s performance drastically declined in the previous season.
Brighton need Baleba to be healthy and productive, returning to the box-to-box strength he showed in the 2024–25 campaign. That performance initially drew interest from United and other elite European teams.
Which injury has Carlos Baleba suffered?
He has picked up an ankle injury.
How long will Carlos Baleba be out?
He is set to miss the start of the season.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.