Matt O’Riley’s Brighton career started in the worst possible fashion last Tuesday as he picked up an injury just six minutes into his Seagulls debut.
The attack-minded midfielder completed a record-breaking £30m switch to England’s south coast just over a week ago.
New Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler threw O’Riley into the starting lineup for a Carabao Cup tie against Crawley Town just over 24 hours after he signed for the club.
The 23-year-old, however, sustained a horrible ankle injury after a hugely dangerous tackle moments into the game.
He resultantly had to get surgery and went under the knife on Monday.
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom has now revealed that O’Riley’s operation was successful.
“We are hugely disappointed with that horror challenge on Matt O’Riley”, he said (The Official Brighton and Hove Albion Podcast via Sussex World).
“He had his operation today (Monday) and that has been successful.
“We are all really looking forward to seeing him back at the later part of the year.”
Sky Sports reports that O’Riley will now spend 8-12 weeks on the sidelines.
It has been a far-from-ideal week for the Dane, but things can only get better now.
He is at a great, modern football club in Brighton, whose team he will slot into seamlessly.
The Seagulls play a fast-paced, modern brand of football that will suit O’Riley to a tee.
He thoroughly deserves the move down south after a terrific few years with Celtic in which he moulded into a key player.
For the Hoops now, though, it is about moving on and finding new heroes. That is exactly what they did at the weekend in a 3-0 mauling of arch-rivals Rangers.
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