Why is Mitoma on the bench?

Former Brighton players Guy Butters and Warren Aspinall believe Fabian Hurzeler has been managing Kaoru Mitoma's minutes over the busy fixture period, after the winger missed out on a place in the Seagulls' last two starting line-ups.

Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, Butters said: "With the games coming thick and fast in December, and a cup game coming up as well, I think you have got to look after players.

"When I played, I would have wanted to play every single game. If you had left me out, I would have been straight into the manager's office complaining. But it is a totally different game now.

"I watched Mitoma in the Brentford game and I thought that his touch and everything around it was really good. He attacked the full-back well with his pace but sometimes his final ball can be frustrating.

"But you have just got to manage the players well and hopefully he will start to hit some really good form sooner or later."

Aspinall added: "I think they are managing his minutes. They must be, because he is our best wide player. We have got four players to choose from [in that area] and he is the best one.

"We saw when he came on against Aston Villa and Arsenal that he changed the game. Thomas Partey didn't know what to do against him. He did Partey, who had a two-yard start on him, with his first touch of the ball.

"No defender wants players going in behind and taking them on. They want these wide players to take it 15 yards, come back and give it back to their goalkeeper or someone in their backline."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds