Brighton midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento is facing several weeks on the sidelines after fracturing a bone in his foot on Ecuador duty.
The 20-year-old started in his side’s 3-1 defeat to Australia and provided an assist for Felix Torres’ headed equaliser 23 minutes into the first half.
But seven minutes later he suffered an injury and was replaced by Alexander Alvarado, before being taken for hospital assessment.
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Ecuador later confirmed he had suffered a “fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot”.
A fractured metatarsal can take up to six weeks to heal, meaning Sarmiento stands to miss Brighton’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, as well as crucial league games against Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City as Roberto De Zerbi’s side seek to keep up their bid for European football.
Sarmiento, who joined Brighton from Benfica in the summer of 2021, made his debut for the club in November of that year during a 0-0 draw with Leeds United at the Amex.
The former Charlton youth player has made 12 appearances in all competitions for the club this season, with nine coming in the Premier League.
The Ecuador international, who represented England at youth level, has gone on to earn 13 international caps ever since he made his debut in October 2021.
Brighton duo Moises Caicedo and Pervis Estupinan both played the full 90 minutes for Ecuador.
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(Photo: Getty Images)
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