Zadok Yohana poised to make his Brighton debut against Manchester City this weekend

NIGERIAN teenage sensation Zadok Yohana could make his English Premier league debut this weekend as he has finally returned to training over the last week having been out of action with injury since the start of the season.

In June, dashing winger Yohanna, 19, became the first big signing of the summer transfer when he joined Brighton from Swedish side AIK in a deal said to be worth about £24m. He had been the subject of a scramble as several English sides jostled for his signature but eventually  Brighton emerged as winners, getting him to sign a deal that will last until 2031, worth an initial €28m, plus a potential €2m in add-ons.

Zadok, who impressed during his breakthrough spell at AIK Stockholm, said Brighton’s reputation for giving opportunities to young talents made them stand out among several interested clubs. After signing the deal, he took to the club's website to say that Brighton's commitment to developing young players was the key factor in his decision.

However, Zadok has been out of action since the opening day of the season due to fitness issues but over the last week, he has returned to training. Zadok is now in line to see some action tomorrow when the Seagulls face league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Zadok's most recent appearance for Brighton came against Tromsø in the Uefa Conference League qualifiers, taking his total appearances for the club to three. In total, Yohanna has missed 11 consecutive matches and internationally, he was also unavailable for Nigeria's back-to-back 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler confirmed that the winger had returned to training after an extended spell on the sidelines. He added: "Regarding the other players who have been out for a long time, Zadok Yohanna is back on the training pitch, also Stefanos Tzimas after his ACL, so plenty of positives."

However, Mr Hürzeler did not provide an update on fellow Nigerian winger Femi Azeez during his pre-match briefing. Azeez, 24, a former Millwall star has yet to make his competitive debut too due to injury, following his transfer deadline day move from the English Championship side.