Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler expressed his frustration over what he termed a “ridiculous foul” after new signing Matt O’Riley was forced to exit the Seagulls’ Carabao Cup victory against Crawley due to an injury.

O’Riley, who had joined Brighton for £25 million from Celtic just a day earlier, saw his debut cut short by a hard tackle from Crawley captain Jay Williams in the sixth minute.

Following extended treatment on the field, the Danish midfielder had to be assisted off by two physiotherapists, showing visible difficulty with his left ankle, which Hurzeler described as being in a concerning condition.

“You cannot make such tackles,” Hurzeler, the German coach, remarked. “It’s a type of challenge that risks causing serious injury to another player.”

Despite the severity of the tackle, Williams was not penalized with a booking. He faced boos from the crowd throughout the first half and again as he was substituted in the second half.

Crawley, a League One team, also saw substitute Jack Roles receive a red card for a late challenge on Yasin Ayari in the 91st minute. Additionally, both Hurzeler and Crawley’s manager Scott Lindsey were booked by the referee late in the match.

Lindsey offered an apology for Williams’ tackle after the match concluded.

“We may have been overly aggressive, and perhaps the referee missed it. I want to apologize,” Lindsey said. “Injuries are never our intention. We are both passionate about the sport and wish Brighton the best in the next round.”

Brighton secured their place in the third round with goals from Simon Adingra, Jeremy Sarmiento, Adam Webster, and Mark O’Mahony, continuing Hurzeler’s perfect record as Brighton’s manager.

O’Riley’s debut was part of a completely rotated Brighton lineup, with Hurzeler making 11 changes from the team that won against Manchester United the previous Saturday.

Williams’ challenge seemed to disrupt Brighton’s rhythm, leading to a tense encounter between the two Sussex-based teams.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Hurzeler criticized the challenge, calling it a “ridiculous foul” that had “nothing to do with football,” noting that it significantly altered the game’s tone.

Crawley created several chances, including a disallowed goal by Ronan Darcy, who was flagged offside. Josh Flint also had an opportunity, breaking through the defense only to see his shot saved.

Brighton regained control when Adingra finished a move from Carlos Baleba’s through ball, marking his second goal of the season. Sarmiento added to the lead early in the second half with his first goal for Brighton after a brilliant run by Julio Enciso.

Crawley continued to press but couldn’t convert their chances. Webster then headed in from a corner to make it 3-0, and 19-year-old Mark O’Mahony completed the scoring with his first goal for the club after winning the ball high up the field.

Before the match, Brighton introduced new signing Ferdi Kadioglu from Fenerbahce to the home crowd, but the evening was overshadowed by O’Riley’s injury.