Kaoru Mitoma's injury...bad news for Brighton and Samurai Blue

Brighton & Hove Albion ace Kaoru Mitoma is injured.

Brighton won 2-1 in the 2024-2025 FA Cup fifth round (round of 16) at St. James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, after a fierce battle over extra time against Newcastle United.

Brighton won with difficulty. They were dragged down by a penalty kick to Alexander Isak in the 22nd minute of the first half, but Yankuba Minthe, who exchanged a 2-on-1 pass with Joao Pedro in the 44th minute of the first half and faced a 1-on-1 situation with the goalkeeper, neatly finished the game to level the match.

In the 38th minute of the second half, when the score was tied at 1-1, Anthony Gordon received a direct red card for an unbelievable action of pushing an opponent's face hard in a contest. Brighton could have had a numerical advantage, but Tariq Lamptey was sent off for a second yellow card in the first minute of extra time in the second half, and their advantage was lost. In the final minutes of the second half, it seemed like Newcastle would concede another goal, but the semi-automatic offside system caught them offside, and Fabian Schaer's goal was cancelled.

After going through much difficulty, Brighton successfully blocked Newcastle's attacks. In the 9th minute of the second half, they blocked Martin Dubrauka's long pass, and Danny Welbeck, who received a pass from Solly March, made an exquisite infiltration and broke through the offside line, and scored a technical shot between the goalkeeper and the crossbar, deciding the game.

Brighton won, but they couldn't just smile. Mitoma, who had been an ace this season, was substituted late in the second half due to an injury. Mitoma complained of pain after tripping on Newcastle's defense while rushing into the penalty box, and after getting up and walking for a moment, he soon collapsed on the pitch and signaled for a substitution. He gestured toward his left knee, so it is suspected that he has a knee injury.

Manager Fabian Hürtzeller said in a post-match press conference, "I can tell you more after a thorough diagnosis," and "I hope it's not that bad." The exact diagnosis for Mitoma's injury has not yet been released.

Mitoma has been a Brighton ace since the 2022-2023 season, constantly stirring up the left side. In particular, he is considered a threatening crack in the English Premier League with his signature dribbling and off-the-ball movement that takes advantage of the flow that he has trained for a long time. He is the team's top scorer with 8 goals in all competitions this season, along with Welbeck, and has shown outstanding skills with 5 goals and 1 assist in the last 10 games.