Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister are both fit to play against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.
Caicedo was forced off with an apparent ankle injury in the second half of Brighton's 2-0 win away against Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Mac Allister also picked up a "small problem" at the Vitality Stadium.
Speaking about the midfield duo after the game, De Zerbi told reporters: "It is not a big problem [for Caicedo] and the same for Alexis [Mac Allister]. He had a small problem at the end of the first half and I didn't want to take any risks as both are very important and I didn't want to lose them."
The Italian has since confirmed that both Caicedo and Mac Allister are available to play in Saturday's contest which sees the Seagulls in sixth place travel to face fellow European chasers Spurs in fifth.
"Mac Allister and Caicedo can play tomorrow without a problem and I am really happy. It is good news for us," De Zerbi said at a press conference on Friday.
© Reuters
Caicedo and Mac Allister have been among a number of standout performers for Brighton this season and have subsequently attracted interest from several top European clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.
Caicedo, who was strongly linked with Arsenal in January, has made 77 tackles - the third-most in the Premier League this season - and 40 interceptions in 26 games for the Seagulls.
World Cup winner Mac Allister, meanwhile, has been a key cog for Brighton at the other end of the pitch, contributing with eight goals in 24 league matches this term.
Two players who will not make the trip to North London are right-back Tariq Lamptey and midfielder Adam Lallana as they continue to recover from respective knee and hamstring injuries.
Brighton were condemned to a 1-0 defeat in their last encounter against Spurs in October, with Harry Kane scoring the only goal at the Amex Stadium.
However, the Seagulls secured maximum points in their last visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, winning 1-0 in April courtesy of a Leandro Trossard strike, and another victory on Saturday would see them move to within one point of Spurs with a game in hand.
© Reuters
De Zerbi has stressed the importance of securing valuable points away from home against the teams around them in the table if they wish to continue their push for Europe.
"If we want to achieve our target we need to win games away before the end of the season against teams like Tottenham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Arsenal," said De Zerbi.
"Tomorrow is one game, we play for three points against a competitor for [a place in] Europe. We know it will be a tough game. They are a strong team."
Brighton currently boast the longest unbeaten away run in the Premier League, having won four and drawn three of their last seven games on the road.
Oliver Thomas
