Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler has played down a message on social media by Julio Enciso after he was left out of the squad for the 3-1 defeat at Fulham.
Enciso, pictured at the gym at the club’s training centre earlier today, stated: “Let no one extinguish your desire to achieve your dreams.”
Hurzeler, speaking after his side’s third league loss of the season at Craven Cottage said: “For sure I’m aware (of the posting). Julio is a young player, an important player. he has big dreams, wants to achieve things and he shows his willingness. I’m a big fan of this.
“But in the end, I am the coach and I need to make tough decisions. I’ve said before this season it would be tough, because we have a big squad with a lot of offensive players.
“Today it was case of going without Julio, but he is a player for us and we treat him like that. He is doing well in training and trying to improve, which is very positive.”
Enciso has not started a Premier League game under Hurzeler, having been limited to seven substitute appearances in the first 14 games of the season.
The 20-year-old was praised by Hurzeler last month for asking to play in the under-21s. He had 45 minutes in a 2-0 win against Anderlecht, a week after scoring a late equaliser for Paraguay in a 1-1 draw against Bolivia in South American World Cup qualifying.
Enciso missed Brighton’s pre-season tour of Japan in July after lobbying owner-chairman Tony Bloom to be allowed to represent his country in the Olympic Games in France, rather than taking an early opportunity to impress Hurzeler following the 31-year-old German’s June move from St Pauli.
(Top photo: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
