Danny Welbeck is enjoying his most prolific start to a season, so Brighton & Hove Albion will be hoping desperately there is no significant damage to their star man after he suffered a second-half injury against Newcastle United.
The club is awaiting the results of a scan on the 33-year-old’s lower back injury, a blemish in the 1-0 win at St James’ Park that lifted Fabian Hurzeler’s team to fifth in the Premier League table.
Welbeck, whose winner on Saturday was his fifth goal in eight league games, was hurt in a seemingly innocuous aerial duel with Fabian Schar as the Newcastle defender’s knee accidentally made contact with his back. The forward was stretchered off after lengthy treatment, leading to nine minutes of added time, but could join team-mates on Brighton’s flight home.
Dat guy’s a bit bruised and battered, but the good news is our match winner at St James’ Park, @DannyWelbeck, is on our @British_Airways flight home. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/k8ZGJFGvCf
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) October 19, 2024
The former Manchester United player has supplemented his goals with one assist to give him six goal involvements — the same as he managed in 29 Premier League matches last season under former head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
Welbeck has never reached double figures in a league campaign. His most productive seasons came at Manchester United, in 2011-12 and 2013-14, ending each campaign with nine league goals.
A decade after leaving his boyhood club, Welbeck remains in regular contact with Sir Alex Ferguson, who gave him his Premier League debut at United as a 17-year-old. Ferguson rang Welbeck after he capped Brighton’s second-half comeback from 2-0 down with a winner in the 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Amex Stadium before the October international break. The enduring relationship is an indication of the respect they have for each other.
A source close to Welbeck, granted anonymity to protect relationships, believes he would have remained at United if Ferguson had not retired in 2013 and been replaced by David Moyes.
An understanding with Brighton’s record signing
Brighton need their current attacking spearhead to stay fit. Joao Pedro, who has missed the last three matches, is out for an unspecified period with an ankle injury, while Evan Ferguson, celebrating his 20th birthday, made little impression at Newcastle on his first league start of the season. The Republic of Ireland prospect, without a goal for 11 months, is still feeling his way back from ankle surgery in April.
Welbeck’s confidence is high under Hurzeler and he is building an understanding with record signing Georginio Rutter. The selfless £40million ($53.5m) summer buy from Leeds United provided the cross for Welbeck’s winning header against Tottenham and the assist at Newcastle, exchanging passes with Welbeck as the former England forward reached a century of goal contributions in the Premier League (72 goals and 28 assists) across 341 games.
St James’ Park has not been a productive venue for Welbeck, so Saturday’s winner — his first goal in his 10th career appearance at Newcastle’s stadium — is further evidence of the purple patch that has spearheaded Brighton’s promising start.
Welbeck, a free transfer from Watford in 2020, is closing in on another landmark. Saturday’s goal was his 28th in 117 appearances for Brighton, leaving him two goals behind the club’s record Premier League goal scorer, Pascal Gross, who returned to Germany to join Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
But Hurzeler values Welbeck for more than goals and assists, describing him as a “role model” after he scored the first direct free kick of his career against Nottingham Forest in September. Hurzeler believes Welbeck can emulate the longevity of 38-year-old former England team-mate James Milner, who is out for several more weeks following a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Asked how long Welbeck could play for, Hurzeler said: “If he behaves like this, continuing his professionalism every day, then for a long time. We have another player (Milner), who is nearly 40. He is still there, trying to be the best version every day, and that is exactly the same for Danny and how much I get from him.
“Of course, I knew he had a big talent in the past and that he is a great team-mate and very supportive. That is exactly what he has shown from the first day. So, he is not only a great footballer, he’s a great personality. He has a feeling for the team’s dynamics and he tries to connect the play. That is very valuable.”
(Top photo: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
