Brighton’s Paraguayan playmaker Julio Enciso is vying for a spot in the starting lineup against Fulham this Saturday.
Enciso, who joined Brighton for about £9 million from Libertad on a four-year contract in 2022, has returned from a major knee injury sustained at Wolves last August.
The 20-year-old underwent two surgery and a protracted recuperation period before regaining full health.
Enciso returned as a second-half replacement in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Everton, and he also came off the bench in the last stages of Wednesday’s 1-0 FA Cup fifth round loss to Wolves.
Head coach Roberto De Zerbi will be careful not to push Enciso too hard, too soon, especially with the Europa League match at Roma on Thursday, but the attacker is in contention to start at Fulham this Saturday.
De Zerbi has a lot of attacking players out injured, which might mean Enciso, who sealed Brighton’s Europa League spot with his goal of the season against Manchester City last season, plays an important part at Craven Cottage.
“Enciso is a top player,” De Zerbi stated last week. “He is young, but more importantly, he is a great talent and athlete. Julio has raised my expectations significantly. I’d like him to help us win the Europa League.
“I don’t want to know the player’s age; I want to see quality, personality, courage, and vitality… other details are not my concern.
“In football, physical conditioning is vital, but motivation is much more important. “I believe Julio is more motivated than the other players on our team.”
