00:00 Hi, it's Darren Howard here. We're just outside the Brighton and Hope Albion training ground
00:05 and we've just come out of the Roberto Di Servi press conference ahead of the Europa League game
00:11 against AEK Athens which will be at the Amex Stadium tomorrow night at 8pm.
00:16 It's a game that every Brighton fan has had in their diary for quite some time now.
00:21 They qualified for the Europa League by finishing 6th in the Premier League last term
00:27 and it's the first ever time that Brighton have been into European football.
00:31 So it's a big occasion for the club and you can tell the excitement.
00:34 It was a packed press conference in there today.
00:36 There were reporters from Greece, from across Europe, from Italy and many of the national press
00:43 were all down today keen to see how Brighton are preparing for their first foray into Europe's competition.
00:50 It's going to be a tough one. AEK Athens won the double last season.
00:55 They won the Greece Super League and also their cup competition as well.
00:59 Roberto Di Servi knows all about Athens. He said he knows the manager well
01:05 and he's been studying their team for some time and he's aware of the style of play
01:10 which is good news as he's preparing his team to take them on.
01:15 So it's going to be quite a good occasion at the Amex Stadium.
01:20 The main focus was on the team news really. They made a lot of changes at Brighton
01:26 to the team that beat Newcastle just prior to the international break.
01:31 They then went to Manchester United and followed that Newcastle victory with a 3-1 win at Old Trafford.
01:38 Six changes in total for that one and we're expecting a few more tweaks to the team that faces Athens tomorrow night.
01:47 Roberto Di Servi confirmed that Evan Ferguson, the striker who scored a hat-trick against Newcastle,
01:53 he then missed out on the bench against Manchester United.
01:57 He was only just about fit enough. He's managing a knee issue but he is fit and available to start if called upon.
02:04 Danny Welbeck, he played the striker role at Manchester United. He's also fit as well.
02:10 So a big call for Di Servi to make it for that position there.
02:14 And also Solly March, the Halsham-born player. He's been with Brighton since a young lad and he's progressed through the ranks of Brighton.
02:23 He missed out at Manchester United with a slight muscle injury but he's fit enough also to be included from the start.
02:32 I asked Roberto Di Servi about his fitness and he just simply said 'Solly plays'.
02:38 So we're expecting Solly March to take his position up on that right flank where he's been so effective for the last 18 months or so under Di Servi.
02:49 So good news on that front. Solly March and Evan Ferguson are both fit and too fatty as well.
02:55 He made his debut from the bench at Manchester United. He's on loan from Barcelona, remember, arrived late in the transfer window.
03:03 So he's also fit enough to play. So Di Servi has quite a few options as to how he will tackle this match as well.
03:13 Pervez Estupiñan and Fulcando Buñotti both missed out at Manchester United due to fatigue after their international break.
03:22 They're both available to play as well. So a big decision.
03:26 I asked Di Servi as well about that left-back slot where Tarek Lamptey played so well for Manchester United.
03:33 So whether Estupiñan will come straight back in at left-back for the Athens match is a decision that Di Servi will have to make.
03:42 But with Bournemouth in mind on Sunday as well. So it could be that Estupiñan comes in, fills that left-back slot with Lamptey back in the team on Sunday to face Bournemouth.
03:53 So lots for Di Servi to think about. It's going to be a hectic fixture period coming up.
03:58 And how Brighton manage the additional football which the Europa League will bring on is going to be key to their success this season.
04:07 So look out for all the updates on the Sussex World website where we'll be previewing the historic match which will take place at Jamek Stadium at 8 o'clock tomorrow.
04:18 We'll also be there ahead of the kick-off speaking to the fans and also providing all the team news prior to the kick-off as well.
04:26 So keep posted with sussexworld.com. Thank you.
04:31 (wind blowing)
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