Injury Crisis Hands Brighton Carabao Cup Advantage

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ hopes of progressing in the Carabao Cup have been dealt a significant blow, with six key players ruled out of Wednesday’s third-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Gary O’Neil’s side will be without Toti Gomes, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Bastien Meupiyou, while Boubacar Traore, Enso Gonzalez, and Sasa Kalajdzic are also sidelined.

In contrast, Brighton’s injury list is less severe, with Matthew O’Riley, James Milner, Brajan Gruda, and Solly March unavailable. Joao Pedro and Mats Wieffer are doubts, but manager Fabian Hurzeler will be optimistic about his side’s chances.

Seagulls Fancied to Progress

Bookmakers have installed Brighton as 4/5 favourites to win the tie, with Wolves priced at 3/1 and the draw available at 5/2. The Amex Stadium outfit’s relative strength in depth and home advantage have swung the odds in their favour.

Brighton thrashed Crawley Town 4-0 in the previous round, while Wolves defeated Burnley 2-0. However, O’Neil’s men face an uphill battle without several key players.

Wolves’ Injury Woes Mount

“We’ve got a few injuries, but we’ll assess them and go from there,” O’Neil said after the defeat to Newcastle. “Toti’s got a small hamstring injury, Rayan’s rolled his ankle, and Bastien was signed injured.”

Brighton, meanwhile, will be eager to build on their impressive league form. Hurzeler’s side have won two of their last three matches and will fancy their chances against a depleted Wolves side.

Carabao Cup Preview

Wednesday’s match kicks off at 7:45 pm and will be broadcast on Sky Sports+. With the odds favouring Brighton, Wolves face a tough task to overcome their injury crisis and progress to the next round.

Match Details

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Carabao Cup Third Round

Amex Stadium

Wednesday, September 18, 7:45 pm

Live on Sky Sports+

Odds

Brighton & Hove Albion: 4/5

Wolverhampton Wanderers: 3/1

Draw: 5/2