James Milner and Harry Howell to miss Brighton’s Carabao Cup tie at Arsenal – The Athletic
James Milner has been ruled out of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carabao Cup tie at Arsenal on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old was limping after Bryan Mbeumo scored a fourth goal for Manchester United in the 4-2 win over Brighton deep into injury time at Old Trafford on Saturday, having come of the bench in the second half.
“James suffered a small muscle issue, so he won’t be available,” head coach Fabian Hurzeler told reporters ahead of the last 16 tie at the Emirates Stadium.
“It might be two or three matches. It’s not a big one. He is a good healer. He will come back as quick as possible.”
Milner has been involved in seven of Brighton’s opening nine Premier League fixtures this season, coming off the bench six times and scoring a penalty in a 2-1 home win over Manchester City in August.
The former Liverpool and England midfielder made his 645th Premier League appearance at Old Trafford, edging closer to Gareth Barry’s all-time appearances record of 653.
Harry Howell, 17, will also miss the Arsenal tie, as well as next month’s Under-17 World Cup with England, due to a back problem. The injury will prevent the attacking prospect from representing England’s juniors alongside team-mate Freddie Simmonds in the tournament in Qatar from November 3 to 27.
“Harry had a small issue with his back, so we have to be patient with him because he came from a different environment. He came from a different intensity to the first team environment with different demands,” Hurzeler said.
“And I think, especially for young bodies, it’s very important to be careful with the adaptation. So, in some moments, it’s important to take a step back to make in the future two steps forwards. We don’t have to force it.”
Howell, son of former Arsenal and Brighton reserve team midfielder Jamie Howell, featured in Brighton’s 6-0 wins away to Championship side Oxford United and League One outfit Barnsley in the previous rounds of the Carabao Cup, scoring his first senior goal at Barnsley.
“We know that he’s a great talent with great skills,” Hurzeler said. “He’s the future for this club.”
Kaoru Mitoma (ankle) and Joel Veltman (calf) are both still absent for the fourth match running against Arsenal.
Brajan Gruda (knee) also remains sidelined after missing the last two games.
