Fabian Hurzeler has provided a fresh update on the fitness of his Brighton & Hove Albion squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls enter this fixture on the back of a comfortable 4-0 home victory over Lithuanian outfit Kauno Zalgiris in the Conference League on Thursday.

Hurzeler was able to rotate his team and welcome back Jack Hinshelwood from injury, with the midfielder scoring on his return to the side along with Georginio Rutter (2) and Matt O'Riley.

One player who was not involved on Thursday was defender Pascal Struijk, who is nursing a hamstring injury and will be assessed in training on Saturday before a decision is made over his availability against Palace.

Struijk was sent off in Brighton’s 2-0 Premier League win at Sunderland last weekend, but the defender’s red card has since been rescinded following a successful appeal, meaning he will be available to face Palace if he is fit to feature.

Minteh, Wieffer close to Brighton return as Mitoma timeline becomes clear

Meanwhile, Hurzeler has confirmed that Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer and Kaoru Mitoma all remain sidelined, but the former two are closing in on a first-team comeback.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Hurzeler said: “With Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer, we could see quite a quick return.

“For Kaoru Mitoma, I hope he’s back for the international break (in November), but we have to be more patient.”

While Wieffer has been sidelined since the end of August with a knee injury, neither Minteh nor Mitoma have played for Brighton this season due to respective calf and hamstring problems which required surgery earlier this year.

Elsewhere, Femi Azeez (hamstring), Zadok Yohanna (unspecified), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefan Tzimas (knee) all remain unavailable for selection as they continue to recover from injury.

Hurzeler aiming to win first match against Crystal Palace

Brighton have been one of the standout teams in the Premier League this season, sitting third in the table after accumulating 13 points and scoring a division-high 18 goals in six games.

However, the Seagulls have struggled in recent M23 derbies with Crystal Palace, failing to win any of their last four meetings with Hurzeler at the helm (D1 L3) – Roberto De Zerbi was the last Brighton boss to beat the Eagles in February 2024 (4-1).

Asked what he enjoys most about the rivalry, Hurzeler replied: “Nothing yet, because I didn’t win any games so far! Hopefully on Sunday this changes.

"I experienced these kinds of games in Germany already and I know how important it is for the fans, for the supporters, for the whole club.

"And also for me, if I'm honest, and also for my players. It’s a derby, it’s more emotions, it’s a rivalry, it’s us against Crystal Palace.”

Brighton head into their latest battle with Palace looking to win four Premier League games in a row for just the second time, having previously done so between February and March 2025.

Meanwhile, Hurzeler has responded to speculation linking him with the Manchester United job amid uncertainty over the future of Michael Carrick.