Evan Ferguson ruled out due to unspecified injury

Evan Ferguson missed Brighton's Premier League encounter with Brentford due to an unspecified injury, and the Ireland striker remains a doubt for Tuesday's top-tier clash with Bournemouth.

The teenager returned from international duty, having playing in both of Ireland's matches during the international window, scoring in the friendly victory against Latvia, before making his competive debut in the Euro 2024 qualifier with France.

Ferguson led the line against the World Cup finalists, where Ireland lost 1-0 at the Aviva Stadium, and was substituted midway through the second half, replaced by fellow forward Adam Idah in the 65th minute.

The Ireland striker was absent from the Brighton matchday squad on Saturday, and while boss Roberto De Zerbi did mention that some players were tired upon their return from international duty, he did not offer any indication as to the nature of Ferguson's injury.

"[Evan] Ferguson has an injury but I don't know if he will be able to play on Tuesday," said De Zerbi, following his side's 3-3 draw with Brentford.

"He is important...and we have to decide the best first XI because the players who were with their national teams, they can be tired."

There was no indication that Ferguson picked up an injury during the Ireland game, however, manager Stephen Kenny praised his workrate throughout the game, which indicated that the substitution may have been fatigue-related.

"He put in a huge shift and as a central striker," said Kenny, speaking to the media after the game.

"It's a physically demanding role and he was actually too honest. He was coming deep when we didn’t need him to be, so it’s physically very demanding.

"But for an 18-year-old he has shown great maturity and I’m proud of his contribution. As