Brighton had a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the 18th round of the Premier League (PL) in the 2023-24 season at Selhurst Park in London, England, at 5 a.m. on Tuesday (Korea time). Satisfied with just one point, Brighton moved up to eighth place.
However, Brighton was injured. Mithoma, the side ace, collapsed. It is estimated that Mithoma was injured in the 35th minute of the second half. Mithoma entered the penalty box after Nathaniel Klein rushed in and took ownership of the ball. Mithoma, who entered the penalty box, was surrounded by Klein and Chris Richarz, and fell.
Shortly after the fall, Mitoma immediately grabbed his left ankle. In the meantime, the game went on, but Mitoma was limping due to the severe pain. It seemed that he could no longer play the game. Still, Mitoma showed his willingness to continue playing. In the 36th minute of the second half, he took Pascal Gross’ pass to a left-footed non-stop shot.
The condition of his left foot, which was already in poor condition, was worse after the shooting. Mitoma, who continued to complain of discomfort, tried to run to the end but was eventually replaced. Mitoma was replaced by Jakub Moder immediately after Danny Welbeck’s equalizer in the 37th minute of the second half. While moving to the bench, Mitoma moved with the help of the team’s staff. Mitoma’s expression on the bench was very distorted.
Mitoma’s injury seemed to be worse than expected. After the game, Sam Morton, a PL reporter, posted a picture of Mitoma leaving the stadium on crutches with a cast on his ankle through his social media. 스포츠토토
“Mitoma left Selhurst Park late on crutches after receiving help when going out of the stadium due to an ankle injury. He left a question mark over his possible participation in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in January,” Morton said.
After showing good performances at Brighton since last season, Mitoma is now growing into a key player for the Japanese national team. Having suffered such a serious injury that he put on crutches with less than a month to go before the opening of the Asian Cup, means that he may not be able to participate in the event. Japan is on alert.