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EPL Ferdi Kadioglu of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Premier League defeat against Fulham Pedro Porru/MB Media/Getty Images Brighton & Hove Albion have three specialist full-backs in their squad, but they need four. The shortfall came back to bite them in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Fulham. The key moment of the contest at Craven Cottage came in the 72nd minute. Fabian Hurzeler’s side looked comfortable at that stage after Yasin Ayari had fired them into a first-half lead, even though opportunities were not taken to double the advantage. Advertisement Joachim Andersen struck a long pass out of the Fulham defence through the inside right channel, and Olivier Boscagli misjudged it. The Frenchman was tight to Samuel Chukwueze as the ball cleared his head, allowing the substitute to break clear and put Fulham back on terms. It was a soft equaliser for the opposition out of nowhere, exacerbated by conceding a stoppage-time winner from a Harry Wilson free kick. All of Boscagli’s 43 appearances for previous club PSV in 2024-25 were as a centre-back. It was the same story when he played 47 games in the 2023-24 campaign. That is why he was signed last summer, on a free transfer, together with Italian Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona — to provide competition and cover for first-choice centre-backs Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke. So why was he playing at left-back? Boscagli, 28, is an experienced performer, but there is a difference between playing at left-back and centre-back. It requires subtle changes of positioning and increases the risk of being exposed in one-on-one situations. Boscagli is no slouch, but once the pass from Andersen went over him, there was no catching Chukwueze. The reason Hurzeler used Boscagli in an unfamiliar position needs unravelling. “It was just a tactical decision for this game, ” Hurzeler said during his post-match press conference. “He played a good game. We controlled everything we could control. We can’t control VAR, we can’t control when individual errors happen. If we had played a perfect game, we would have won. That wasn’t the case. We have to accept sometimes that errors happen, we have to analyse it and make it better the next time. ” Boscagli was selected at left-back because Ferdi Kadioglu had been switched to the right side. The Turkey international is versatile, but his position throughout his career has predominantly been left-back. Advertisement Maxim De Cuyper, a specialist left-back, was signed last summer from Club Brugge, so that side of the defence has healthy, specialised depth. Hurzeler confirmed that De Cuyper, an 88th-minute replacement for Boscagli at Fulham, was not fit enough to start after missing two matches through illness. The problem lies at right-back, where the absence of depth has repercussions on the left. Specialist right-back Joel Veltman was on the bench at Fulham after starting the 1-1 home draw against Bournemouth. Veltman has just turned 34. Starting two matches in six days is a challenge, although that is not the reason Hurzeler left him out. “It was more a tactical decision, ” the head coach said. “He had a small issue with his knee during the week. I am pleased with how he is working. It was not a fair decision for him, but he took it really professionally. I am very pleased that he is such a good team player. ” The future of Veltman, a solid servant since signing from Ajax in 2020, is unclear. He is out of contract in the summer and is keeping his options open. The alternative to Veltman at right-back under Hurzeler had become Mats Wieffer. Veltman’s Dutch compatriot — described by former technical director David Weir as one of the best deep-lying midfielders in Europe when he arrived from Feyenoord in the summer of 2024 — has been converted to full-back by Hurzeler. At Fulham, Wieffer was absent for the sixth successive match due to a toe injury. It is different from the long-term toe injury that ruled Kadioglu out from November onwards last season, but it is taking time to clear up. Jack Hinshelwood has also been used at right-back by Hurzeler and former head coach Roberto De Zerbi but again, he is primarily a central midfielder. The right-back problem arguably should have been addressed in last summer’s transfer window. There is no sign that anything will happen to rectify the situation in the latter stages of the January window — the main incoming business has been done with the return from Borussia Dortmund of Pascal Gross — so it will have to wait until the summer of 2026. Veltman’s future will be resolved by then. Even if he stays for another year, the need for another specialist right-back will not go away. Andy Naylor worked for 32. 5 years on the sports desk of The Argus, Brighton’s daily newspaper. For the last 25 of those years he was chief sports reporter, primarily responsible for coverage of Brighton and Hove Albion FC. Follow Andy on Twitter @Andy Naylor BHAFC