Roberto De Zerbi hints at squad rotation for FA Cup tie against Stoke City

Albion head to the Bet365 Stadium in an attempt to reach the quarter final of the FA Cup for the third time in six years.

The squad will be travelling without five first-team players – Adam Lallana, Jakub Moder, Pervis Estupiñán, Solly March and Levi Colwill – and are likely to name Danny Welbeck and Billy Gilmour amongst substitutes.

With their next Premier League game against West Ham just four days later, many are expecting De Zerbi to give opportunities to players outside his regular starters.

Jeremy Sarmiento, Julio Enciso and Jan Paul van Hecke could all be in contention to start the cup tie, after De Zerbi said he wanted all his players to ‘feel confident and important’.

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De Zerbi said: “I am used to making changes in the first XI, not only in the FA Cup, but now we have many good players and I want to give them the possibility to play and they feel confident and important.”

The Brighton boss also confirmed that captain Lewis Dunk would make his 400th appearance for the club. The Italian was full of praise for the 31-year-old, calling the centre-back ‘one of the best defenders in the Premier League’.

De Zerbi said: “Lewis for me, it’s difficult to see how he has never played for a big team in the Premier League because if you ask me what I think about him, I would say he is one of the best defenders in the Premier League. But I know well his potential, his standard of performance.”