Brighton open their Conference League campaign at home to Kauno Žalgiris on Thursday, with Fabian Hürzeler planning changes before Sunday’s Premier League game with Crystal Palace.
Brighton have won four in a row in all competitions and are third in the Premier League on 13 points, after a 2-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday. It is their first European campaign since the 2023-24 Europa League, when they reached the last 16.
Kauno Žalgiris, the Lithuanian champions, are in the league phase of a UEFA competition for the first time and have never played an English club.
Brighton team news
Pascal Struijk will miss the match, with Hürzeler saying the defender had issues during the international break and that the club are managing him after he played 60 minutes against Sunderland. His red card from that game has been overturned, and Hürzeler hopes he will be back for Palace. Evan Ferguson, Stefanos Tzimas, Kaoru Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer remain out. Femi Azeez and Zadok Yohanna are still adapting to the demands of the squad, with Hürzeler saying Azeez has “no big issue” and that it may take a little time.
Jack Hinshelwood is in contention, with Hürzeler saying “we can expect him to return”. Hürzeler said Brighton will manage the players and their energy, so there will definitely be changes, though he could not say how many, and that it will be an opportunity for some players. Lewis Dunk is expected to come in for Struijk, and Matt O’Riley could come into midfield.
Brighton predicted lineup
Brighton possible starting XI: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli; O’Riley, Ayari, Gross; Gomez, Kostoulas, De Cuyper
When will the match kick off?
The Conference League match kicks off at 20:00 BST on Thursday, 15 October 2026.
How to watch Brighton vs Kauno Žalgiris?
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 2 in the UK, with streaming available via HBO Max.
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