Brighton unable to set return date for Nigerian winger Femi Azeez
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler says the club must remain patient with Femi Azeez’s recovery, leaving the Nigerian winger’s competitive debut on hold with no confirmed return date.
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler has admitted that there is no clear timeline for Femi Azeez’s return to action, leaving the Nigerian winger facing a further wait before making his competitive debut for the Premier League club.
The 25-year-old will miss Thursday’s UEFA Conference League meeting with Jablonec as Brighton continue to monitor his condition.
Azeez has yet to feature for the Seagulls since arriving from Millwall on transfer deadline day in September. Although Hurzeler has played down concerns about the severity of the problem, he has declined to offer a date for the forward’s return.
Speaking ahead of the European fixture, the Brighton manager stressed that patience would be necessary while the club assessed the winger’s progress.
“With Femi, again we have to be patient with him. It’s not quite clear how long it will take,” Hurzeler said.
He added: “It seems to be not a big issue but therefore we have to be patient with Femi.”
Promising arrival still waiting for opportunityAzeez joined Brighton on a four-year contract after an impressive campaign with Millwall, where his performances helped the Championship side reach the play-offs.
The winger recorded 15 goals and 13 assists across 77 appearances for Millwall, establishing himself as an exciting attacking prospect before securing his move to the top flight.
His arrival was also strengthened by his early contributions to Nigeria’s senior national team. He scored twice on his international debut against Zimbabwe in June 2026, helping the Super Eagles secure a 2-0 victory.
However, the transition to life at Brighton has been delayed by fitness concerns, preventing him from immediately competing for a place in Hurzeler’s squad.
The club will now continue managing his recovery, with no confirmed date for his first appearance.
For Azeez, the priority will be reaching the required level of fitness and adapting to Brighton’s demands before beginning the next chapter of his career in the Premier League.
