Leonardo Ulloa in Brighton squad for Southampton game, says Chris Hughton

By Matthew Treadwell

Monday 29 January 2018 16:27, UK

Brighton manager Chris Hughton has confirmed loan signing Leonardo Ulloa has gone straight into the matchday squad to play Southampton on Wednesday night.

The Argentine striker spent three-and-a-half years on the south coast before joining Leicester for £8m in July 2014.

He stated in January 2017 he would not play for the Foxes again after a move away from the King Power Stadium failed to materialise, tweeting at the time: "I feel betrayed by [Claudio] Ranieri and let down by the club. I will not play for them again..." although he subsequently relented.

Albion have been struggling for goals, scoring just 17 times in 24 Premier League appearances this season.

Ulloa netted 26 goals in 58 appearances during his first spell at Brighton, albeit with those coming in the Championship, and Hughton is hoping he can have a positive influence on his side as they look to pull away from the relegation zone.

"He's in the squad for Wednesday and we are happy with his levels. He hasn't played as many games as he would have liked," Hughton said of Ulloa.

"We have found it difficult to get the goals we need to win games, so to have that competition and options in that position is definitely something we wanted to do.

"We know the type of player Ulloa is and what he will bring to the squad. He has gained great experience in the last few years in the games he has been involved with.

"We want him to bring that quality and experience to us and give us the options we felt we needed."

As for the Southampton game, Hughton believes they will face a tough test at St Mary's, despite their opponents having failed to win in their last 11 Premier League matches.

"They have attacking options, play a good brand of football and are easy on the eye," added Hughton.

"It is a surprise they haven't won more games…but that is the level of competition in this league.

"Looking at their performances, they have been very close in a lot of games. That makes it a very difficult game, especially away from home.

"They have got a lot of good quality, technical players, especially in forward areas. They have got a lot of good athletes in the team and pay the game at a very high tempo."

Hughton also gave an injury update on record signing Jurgen Locadia, who signed from PSV Eindhoven for £14m earlier in the January transfer window but has been struggling with a hamstring problem.

"If he had his way, I think he would be out training with us now," said Hughton.

"I see him training with the team, hopefully a week today. He's done everything right in his rehab so far."