Brighton boss confirmed Seagulls set to be without striker Newcastle wanted for Saturday's game

Brighton and Hove Albion make the trip from the South Coast to the North East to face Newcastle United in a 3pm Saturday kick-off this weekend.

While neither manager is blessed with a fully-fit squad, it's arguably the Brighton boss who has been dealt the poorer hand here.

Newcastle are still obviously without Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman who aren't expected back until at least December, but Eddie Howe is hoping to have Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson available for selection on Saturday, while Lewis Miley has been pictured back in training.

Brighton are set to welcome back defender Jan Paul van Hecke which will be a boost to Fabian Hurzeler but up front the news is more mixed.

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Joao Pedro is out of the clash at Newcastle

Former Watford striker and Newcastle target Joao Pedro will not make the squad on Saturday as confirmed by Hurzeler during his pre-match press conference on Thursday morning (via The Northern Echo).

There were question marks over the fitness of in-form striker Georginio Rutter too, however Hurzeler has said that he has recovered from the knock he picked up against Tottenham which kept him out of France U21 action.

Whether he's 100% ready to step in we're not sure, but that will be another boost for Brighton.

Eddie Howe will give his update in the morning

Meanwhile, the idea of Isak and Wilson both being fit for Saturday is still just that as neither player was featured in the training gallery yesterday putting doubt in the minds of fans who have seen and heard this all before.

Eddie Howe will hold his press conference tomorrow and we should get a clearer picture of who is and isn't available, but with Rutter and Van Hecke returning for Brighton, the absence of Joao Pedro isn't as crushing.

We all know that Yankuba Minteh is going to run the show anyway and score a hat trick or something wild like that. That's just how it goes for Newcastle United isn't it?

We jest of course, he's going to be marked out of the game by Lewis Hall and we're all going to put all this wistfully looking off into the middle distance wondering what could have been every time he does something of note in the blue and white stripes.