Japan midfielder Kaoru Mitoma is expected to miss "two to three months," essentially the remainder of the Premier League season, with a back injury, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi revealed Tuesday.
"It's a bad, bad situation," De Zerbi said as he listed a string of injuries to his squad at a press conference. "I think we lost Mitoma until the end of the season. It's a back injury, an important problem."
Mitoma's lower back trouble will also rule him out of Japan's second-round World Cup qualifying games in March. He has scored three goals in 19 games this term for Brighton.
"I've been dealing with this pain and it reared its head again," Mitoma said after leaving the Seagulls' Feb. 18 game against Sheffield United. He did not play in Brighton's 1-1 draw at home to Everton on Saturday.
