Journalist Tom Barclay had it confirmed by Graham Potter that Tariq Lamptey remains the same player despite his long-term hamstring problem.

What happened to Lamptey?

The 20-year-old burst on the scene following his loan move to Brighton from Chelsea during the second half of the 2019-2020 season.

Such was Lamptey's form at the Amex Stadium, Graham Potter's side made his deal permanent last summer.

Ironically, his second debut was against Chelsea, and he registered an assist, although it wasn't enough to stop the Seagulls from slipping to a 3-1 defeat.

Lamptey started 11 of Brighton's opening 13 Premier League matches but suffered a serious hamstring injury during the goalless draw at Fulham before Christmas and wouldn't play again this season.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY

After spending more than nine months on the sidelines, though, the right wing-back is expected to make his comeback for Brighton's Carabao Cup tie with Swansea tonight after returning to the squad for the win over Leicester on Sunday.

Despite missing 34 league matches, Barclay revealed that the Seagulls boss isn't worried about any potential issues having spent so long out.

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What did Barclay say?

"He told GIVEMESPORT: "I actually spoke to Graham Potter, I asked him in the press conference yesterday whether he has any concerns that he will be as good as he was before.

"Whenever a player has such a long time out, maybe less so now compared to years gone by, but it can have an effect on their development, but he said he's seen exactly the same player, which is good news for Brighton fans because when Tariq Lamptey plays, he's electric."

How big of a boost is this for Brighton?

Potter's men have coped just fine without Lamptey. They easily avoided relegation last season after some excellent results ensure they stayed above the bottom-three, whilst they're flying high in the Champions League spots following four victories from their opening five matches this term.

But should Lamptey rediscover the form that once attracted the attention of Tottenham and Everton, then the Seagulls could get even better and be in with every chance of achieving their best Premier League finish.