Brian Owen, Brighton and Hove Albion reporter for The Argus, believes that Brentford must be wary of Simon Adingra at Gtech Community Stadium on Wednesday.

The forward has stepped up in the absence of Kaoru Mitoma, João Pedro and Julio Enciso and has seven goal contributions (6G, 1A) in 22 Premier League appearances this season.

Brighton are ninth in the table at the time of speaking. We will come to injuries shortly, but what have you made of what you’ve seen since Christmas?

It has been really mixed. It has been such a unique, unknown season for everybody. Roberto De Zerbi has touched on the fact it has been the same for literally everybody, from the chairman down.

After the 5-0 win at Sheffield United on 18 February, with Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra playing, we thought everything was going to be plain sailing, in a way, but there is no doubt the European games do take their toll, both physically and mentally, and there have been injuries as well.

Brighton battled through one tough period, thought everything was clearing, and then another one came. They got hammered against Luton, which I did not see coming, but they won a really close game against Nottingham Forest before the international break, which was a good sign because they do not win many close games, albeit they did at home to Brentford.

It is a bit of a meandering answer, but it has not hit a straight pattern, really.

Much like Brentford, Brighton have had rotten luck with injuries this season. They have done well so far, but is there a lingering feeling of what they might have achieved had fortune been on their side?

Yes, I think so. Initially, it was because they were having injuries in the same areas of the pitch, like wingers and full-backs, and then, if you look at games like the 0-0 draw at West Ham, they dominated and West Ham were happy to sit back, but they did not have any spark as they were lacking players like Mitoma, Adingra and Ansu Fati – their flair players.

It is those inventive difference-makers they probably regret not having.

De Zerbi’s side had an enjoyable first European campaign. Is it fair to say they’ve got a taste for that and are going to do their best to get back there on a more regular basis?

Oh yes, definitely – and the fans do as well. It was probably painted as a miserable trip to Rome when they lost 4-0, but it honestly was not – the fans had an amazing time. It is all experience and they will have learned a lot from that, so what is the point of learning that and then not having another crack at it?

That is the target now, to get back into Europe, but I am not totally sure what the goalposts are in terms of the places they need to aim for. I think they coped quite well with it, to be where they are in the league. De Zerbi has pointed out how, for example, West Ham won the Europa Conference League final last year and he can reel off probably 10 clubs who have really struggled with being in European and league competition.

Anything in the top 10 for Brighton is brilliant and I do not think people should lose sight of that.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on at Gtech Community Stadium?

He did not start as the frontline winger, but Adingra has followed the same path as Mitoma, in coming in after a season at Union SG. He has done really well on either side and performed better than expected, as well as winning AFCON with the Ivory Coast, where he was Young Player of the Tournament and man of the match in the final.

Adingra creates goals and has scored a few, with chances to score more as well. Certainly in the absence of Mitoma, João Pedro and Julio Enciso, he has been a really exciting player for a large period of the season.

How is De Zerbi likely to set in west London?

Brighton always used a 4-2-3-1, but he has used more of a back three this season, which was initially because he did not have full-backs, but he has stuck with it, even when full-backs have been coming back, so specialist full-backs like Pervis Estupiñán and Joël Veltman have not been playing as much as you would have thought.

In terms of the back three or four, it is quite a fine line because, even when he plays a four, one of the full-backs, like Estupinan or Tariq Lamptey, are almost wing-backs anyway.

The main spine of the team is Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke at centre-back and Pascal Gross and Billy Gilmour in midfield. That has been the foundation of the team this season.

There’s been a win each and a draw in the last three meetings. What’s your score prediction for this one?

I think I got it right last time, though I did not expect it! Let’s go for Brighton to bounce back from a narrow defeat at Anfield with a 2-1 win.