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'Injury bad luck' Mitoma ends season with less than half the show
Kaoru Mitoma's highly anticipated sophomore season has come to a disappointing end.
Roberto De Zerbi revealed the news in his pre-match press conference ahead of the match against Wolverhampton on Sunday (July 27). "We took him out of the (last) game against Everton because of a back injury. It's a major problem. I think it will be two to three months. It looks like he's out for the season."
Injuries have also caught up with Mitoma. After returning from a loan spell at Royal Winnion in the 2022-23 season, Mitoma was set to make his Premier League debut. Then-manager Graham Potter used him as a joker, and he made an impact. His blistering pace and dribbling ability to overwhelm tired defenses was a sight to behold. Gradually, he became a regular in the first team, accumulating attacking points and becoming one of the Premier League's leading crack players.
Porter's sudden departure to Chelsea was followed by the arrival of De Jervy. Under De Jervi, Mitoma was able to establish himself as a regular starter. His final tally was seven goals and five assists in 33 Premier League appearances. Mitoma quickly became the face of Brighton and one of the Premier League's leading stars. Last season, Tottenham Hotspur struggled and Son Heung-min was not as effective as he had been in previous years, leading to comparisons to Mitoma.
Many people compared it to Mitoma's breakout year and Son's breakdown year. The highly anticipated second season ended up being a failure. Mitoma's performance was great in the 카지노 beginning, but injuries were a problem. Injuries prevented him from showing his full potential. At times, it was suggested that a pattern was being read. Before the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar, he suffered another injury and it looked like he would not be able to play, but he went to the Japanese national team.
Despite his return to play, Japan was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Upon his return, Mitoma played against Tottenham and Sheffield United, but not against Everton. The reason was injury, and barring a miraculous recovery, Mitoma is unlikely to return this season. His final league tally for the season will be three goals and four assists in 19 appearances. Compared to last season, all of these numbers are down.
Son Heung-min has become Tottenham's ace in the hole in the absence of Harry Kane and has made a huge offensive impact. He has scored 12 goals in the Premier League alone and his involvement in the team is overwhelming. Those who compared Mitoma and Son in the same breath should feel embarrassed.