Tromsø vs Brighton – News and Probable Lineups

Brighton & Hove Albion is set to return to competitive football on Thursday evening after a successful pre-season, kicking off their Conference League playoff against Tromso IL.

While Albion enters at this stage as the final hurdle before the league phase, their Norwegian opponents have already navigated through one qualifier to reach this point.

Match overview

After finishing eighth in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, Brighton has undergone several changes during the summer. The experienced James Milner has retired, and key striker Danny Welbeck has made his move to Chelsea.

Consequently, head coach Fabian Hurzeler will need to find a way to fill the void left by Welbeck, whose scoring contributed to the team’s qualification for Europe last season.

As the 2026-27 season kicks off, Brighton can take solace in their positive pre-season results, which included victories against Wycombe Wanderers and Strasbourg.

The Seagulls subsequently hosted two friendly matches against Italian teams, first beating Roma 3-0, followed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Bologna.

The objective was to be prepared for their return to European competitions ahead of their opening Premier League match against Aston Villa.

While Brighton is just commencing their season, Tromso is already deeply involved in another Eliteserien campaign.

Currently, Jorgen Vik’s side ranks third in Norway’s top division after 17 league matches, positioned behind last season’s top two teams, Viking FK and Bodo/Glimt.

Despite suffering a 3-2 defeat to Molde last weekend, Tromso displayed fine form prior, rebounding impressively after being eliminated from the Europa League.

Following their second qualifying round loss to Hradec Kralove, they achieved a 6-2 victory over Aalesund and triumphed over CFR Cluj with a 7-1 aggregate in the Conference League.

After securing a substantial 5-0 win in the first leg of their third-round tie, thanks largely to Isak Dahlqvist’s hat-trick, Tromso completed a 2-1 win at home.

This matchup against Premier League opposition is a significant step up in competition level.

Team News

Brighton has several injury concerns ahead of the first leg, with Carlos Baleba, Stefanos Tzimas, and Kaoru Mitoma all being significant doubts.

Evan Ferguson may be on the brink of another loan move, while Yankuba Minteh sustained an injury playing against Roma and could be sidelined for three months.

On a brighter note, Pascal Struijk has returned to full training, and fellow newcomer Luka Vuskovic – who effectively replaced Jan Paul van Hecke, who moved to Tottenham – is available for selection.

In the absence of Welbeck, either Georginio Rutter or Charalampos Kostoulas is expected to spearhead Brighton’s attack.

Meanwhile, Tromso’s forward line is primarily led by Heine Larsen, who has netted three goals in European competitions this season, similar to Swedish wing-back Dahlqvist.

While key player Jens Hjerto-Dahl has recently signed with newly promoted Hull City, former Norway international Ruben Yttergard Jenssen will continue to captain the team from midfield.

Additionally, Leon Hien has joined on loan from Djurgardens this month and has slotted into Vik’s defensive three.

The visitors face a major concern with goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard, who left the field injured against Tromso; therefore, the former Stoke City keeper may be replaced by his backup Ole Kristian Lauvli.

Tromso IL probable starting XI:

Lauvli; Vadebu, Hien, Tonnessen; Dahlqvist, Edvardsson, Jenssen, L. Larsen, Warneryd; Nyhammer, H. Larsen

Brighton & Hove Albion probable starting XI:

Consume; Wieffer, Vuskovic, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Gomez, Gross, Ayari, Kadioglu; Hinshelwood; Rutter

Although Brighton holds a distinct advantage in terms of quality and depth, Tromso is undoubtedly capable of finding the back of the net and enjoys an advantage in match fitness.

Consequently, while the Seagulls are regarded as favorites in the Conference League, they could return home with only a slender advantage heading into the second leg next week.