Georginio Rutter gives Brighton a selection decision before Crystal Palace derby

Georginio Rutter has given Fabian Hürzeler a strong reason to reconsider Brighton’s attack before Sunday’s derby against Crystal Palace.

Two goals and an assist in the 4–0 victory over Kauno Žalgiris followed his contribution from the bench at Sunderland, where he supplied Jaouen Hadjam’s stoppage-time goal.

Across those two appearances, Rutter has scored twice and created another two goals. His response to a difficult start to the season is gathering substance.

The complication for Hürzeler is that Charalampos Kostoulas has earned his opportunities too. Brighton’s selection decision involves rewarding a player returning to form while recognising what his competition has already delivered.

Georginio Rutter delivers as scorer and provider

Rutter was involved in each of Brighton’s first three goals on Thursday.

He finished Ibrahim Osman’s delivery to break the deadlock after 41 minutes, supplied Jack Hinshelwood’s goal before half-time and then converted another Osman pass early in the second half.

Those contributions helped turn Brighton’s control into a commanding lead. The opener was particularly valuable: despite creating opportunities, Albion had reached the closing stages of the first half without scoring.

His impact at Sunderland offered a different example of his usefulness. Introduced late with Brighton protecting their lead with ten men, Rutter held the ball up before releasing Hadjam to score.

That sequence demonstrated the value of his involvement before the final pass. Brighton needed someone to retain possession long enough for support to arrive, and Rutter helped them turn a defensive situation into the goal that settled the match.

Together, the performances strengthen his claim to influence Sunday’s game from the beginning.

Kostoulas has earned Hürzeler’s trust

There is a clear reason Rutter has had to wait.

Brighton’s head coach explained before the Sunderland match that an injury had interrupted Rutter’s promising start, keeping him out of three Premier League fixtures. Kostoulas used the opportunity to establish himself, contributing two goals and two assists during September.

Hürzeler’s assessment of the competition between the forwards was direct.

“Babis is in now and you won’t take him out, because he is performing,” he said.

Kostoulas subsequently started at Sunderland, while Rutter again began among the substitutes. On Thursday, their roles changed: Rutter started and Kostoulas remained an unused substitute.

That also introduces recovery into the decision. Kostoulas approaches the derby without Thursday’s workload, while Rutter has just made his strongest recent argument for more responsibility.

Hürzeler must weigh that freshness against the benefits of keeping an influential player in the team.

Improved training gives the performance context

The signs of Rutter’s response were apparent before his European double.

Hürzeler had praised his training before the Sunderland trip, describing it as his best week since joining Brighton. The coach connected that improvement with the competition provided by Kostoulas.

Rutter was also candid about his own standards in a club interview published before Thursday’s match.

“I think I’m hard to work with sometimes. In training, for example, I’m not consistent,” he admitted.

He explained that he was working to improve that consistency and his mentality. Thursday’s performance gives Hürzeler evidence that the response is carrying into matches.

It also fits the broader demand for Brighton to become more ruthless as European football tests the squad. Competition becomes useful when players given an opportunity produce performances that make the next selection harder.

Palace will provide a different examination

The circumstances of Thursday’s victory still matter.

Brighton had 77.8 per cent possession and 35 attempts against Kauno Žalgiris, according to Sky Sports’ match statistics. Rutter was playing in a team able to sustain attacks and repeatedly supply its forwards.

Those conditions cannot simply be assumed against Palace. His contribution at Sunderland therefore strengthens the argument: he has recently helped Brighton in a demanding Premier League situation as well as a dominant European performance.

Palace have their own selection questions after Daichi Kamada strengthened his claim to start at Brighton with a goal from the bench in Lyon.

For Hürzeler, Rutter has supplied what a player seeking a recall needs: improved training, an effective substitute appearance and a productive start.

Sunday’s team sheet will show how the Brighton coach weighs that response against Kostoulas’s established league form.

Related: Brighton predicted lineup vs Kauno Zalgiris: Dunk tipped to replace Struijk