Dunk absence is ‘a blow’ for Seagulls – Potter

Brighton boss Graham Potter admits being without defender Lewis Dunk for one match is “a blow” but feels they can cope. Dunk has been an integral part of Brighton’s positive start to life under Potter and is one of just six players to have started all 12 Premier League games this season.
But he will sit out his first game of the term after the international break when Brighton welcome in-form Leicester to the Amex.
The 27-year-old received his fifth yellow card of the campaign in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
An accumulation of bookings means he must serve a one-game ban and his absence will certainly weaken the Seagulls.
Potter admits that his unavailability is “a blow” but has refused to criticise his man for picking up five bookings so soon into the season. “We’ll be missing Lewis and it’s a blow because he’s been great, but part of football is finding solutions to situations and this is one of those occasions,” Potter told Brighton’s official website. “It’s not easy and when you mistime a challenge it doesn’t look so good, we’re not a malicious team but when the likes of Dan James, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford nip the ball away from you then these things can happen.”
Potter has been left with a selection headache and may need to shift Dan Burn, who has been playing at left-back, into the heart of defence to partner Shane Duffy.
Summer signing Adam Webster was drafted in to offer cover for first-choice pairing Dunk and Duffy but he is also expected to miss the clash with the Foxes.
Webster is currently sidelined with a foot injury and he isn’t expected to be available for selection until late December.
Therefore, Burn is the most likely candidate to deputise for Dunk and that could hand Gaetan Bong the chance to slot in at left-back.
Bong is yet to start a game this season, having made four appearances from the bench, and a makeshift backline could leave the Seagulls in all sorts of trouble when Leicester come to town.