Head coach Roberto De Zerbi says Brighton are playing "a different sport" this season as he battles against injuries and fixture congestion in preparation for the club’s first away game in the Europa League in Marseille tonight.
Left-back Pervis Estupinan is out for a month with a muscle injury suffered in Saturday's 6-1 hammering at Aston Villa.
Skipper Lewis Dunk, Solly March, Pascal Gross and James Milner have also all missed matches.
De Zerbi has made 39 changes to the starting line-up over the last five games, a policy the Italian will reluctantly continue.
"I don't like before the game to change so many players," he said. "If you play with the same eight or 11, you can play better. But I have to do it.
"Lewis played in the national team, then after three days played another big game at Old Trafford and then we lost him for a very important game (the 3-2 loss against AEK Athens).
"I don't want to put my focus on Premier League or Europa League, we have to compete every game in every competition.
"But we have many difficult situations. Solly March last season finished in a bad way with injury. This season, I have to manage him.
"Pascal Gross the same, he played in the (Germany) national team then he spent the last period (injured). (Adam) Webster, (Danny) Welbeck, I have to manage them, because they can't play two games in three days. We have to adapt. If we reach European competition next year, it will be different.
"I'm watching injuries in other teams. The injury of (Bukayo) Saka. At Newcastle as well. Italian clubs have lost a lot of important players through injury.
"In Italy, there is a polemic about too many games for players. It's not my job (to discuss it), but it's a different sport to last season.”
