Brighton face Tromso in Conference League play-off with four first-team players sidelined

Brighton kick off their UEFA Conference League play-off campaign against Norwegian side Tromso on Thursday, with a 6pm BST first-leg tie standing between the Seagulls and a place in the competition proper.

Fabian Hurzeler is expected to field a strong starting XI despite the Premier League season beginning this weekend, though the Brighton head coach will be without a cluster of notable names. Kaoru Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh, Carlos Baleba and Stefanos Tzimas are all anticipated to miss the trip to Norway.

Brighton qualified for this stage of the competition by finishing eighth in the Premier League, though their form tailed off sharply at the end of the 2025/26 season — losing three of their final four league games and failing to win any of their last three away fixtures. Pre-season results have offered some encouragement, with victories over Strasbourg, Roma and Bologna providing Hurzeler’s squad with meaningful preparation ahead of their European return.

Tromso arrive at this tie in reasonable domestic form, winning five of their last seven matches across all competitions. The Norwegian side advanced to this round after defeating Cluj in the third qualifying round, though they head into Thursday’s first leg on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Molde in their most recent league outing.

The tie is finely poised heading into the first leg, with Brighton’s European pedigree offset by their recent away struggles and the disruption of a congested fixture schedule. Tromso, buoyed by home support and a run of competitive results, will be confident of making the Seagulls work for their place in the group stage.