Chris Hughton says Brighton are missing the pace and goalscoring of Jose Izquierdo as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
The Colombia international has only managed 10 appearances for the Seagulls this season after returning from the World Cup with a knee issue, delaying his return to action until September.
The 26-year-old then suffered a recurrence of the knee injury in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on December 4 and there is still no return date set for the winger.
Having made a good first impression following his £13million switch from Club Brugge last summer, Hughton says his absence is being felt by the team when it comes to opening up the opposition.
Hughton told The Argus: “It’s fair to say we’ve missed him. I’m really pleased with (Jurgen) Locadia. It’s been a good opportunity for him and he’s got a couple of goals.
“He (Izquierdo) does give us goals and particularly this being his second season you would like to think he will have gained more experience from last year and been more of an integral part.
“We’ve missed his goals and we’ve probably missed his pace as well.”
When asked about the latest on Izquierdo’s condition, Hughton added: “We are hoping he is going to be training with us next week. He is doing some good work at the moment.”
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