Brighton eyes best Premier League points tally

Brighton, which has 37 points from 36 Premier League games, is three points away from matching its highest tally of 40.

Graham Potter's (R) Brighton is 16th in the Premier League standings and six points clear of the relegation zone.

Brighton and Hove Albion is targeting maximum points from the final two games of the season as it looks to secure its best Premier League points tally, manager Graham Potter said on Saturday.

Brighton, which has 37 points from 36 games, is three points away from matching its highest tally of 40, which it achieved in its maiden top-flight season in 2017-18.

Potter's side, 16th in the standings and six points clear of the relegation zone, hosts 13th-placed Newcastle United on Monday before travelling to Burnley.

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“We want to get as close as we can to 43 points,” Potter told reporters. “That's the aim and that's what we'll try to do.”

Defender Benjamin White, who spent the season on loan at Leeds United and helped them earn promotion to the Premier League, has been linked with a permanent move away from Brighton.

“We see Ben as part of our plan. Everyone won, he got great experience and Leeds got their goal of promotion,” Potter said of the 22-year-old.

“We rate him highly, I've followed his career closely, we like him a lot.”

Potter confirmed that winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who missed Thursday's 1-1 draw at Southampton due to a hamstring injury, is in line to return. Defender Adam Webster has a hip problem and will be assessed.

- Newcastle faces injury problems ahead of Brighton clash -

Newcastle United could be without key players including Fabian Schar and Allan Saint-Maximin for the clash against Brighton, manager Steve Bruce said on Saturday.

Schar sustained a shoulder injury and was taken to the hospital for scans while Saint-Maximin injured his calf during the 3-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Defender Jamaal Lascelles will sit out the rest of the season after undergoing ankle surgery.

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“Schar is away to see a specialist and we expect him to have an operation,” Bruce told reporters.

“Florian Lejeune, Isaac Hayden, Sean Longstaff, Paul Dummett, Saint-Maximin, Ciaran Clark are all big doubts.

“We have Federico Fernandez, who has played every game and looks as if he's going to be okay while we've applied to see if Kelland Watts will be available because he's been on loan a few times.”

Newcastle is 13th in the standings with 43 points.