JG Writes

Brighton and Hove Albion recalled 19-year-old full back Michal Karbownik from his loan at Legia Warsaw on Sunday.

Karbownik originally signed a four-year deal on transfer deadline day back in October but continued his development back in Poland. However, with back up full back Bernardo moving out on loan to Red Bull Salzburg, it seems like the right time for the Polish international to have his first taste of the Premier League now as opposed to the original agreement which would’ve seen him join up with the squad after the current season has ended.

In this article, I will be taking a look at what the full back can bring to the table for the Albion and how Karbownik will fit in by looking at some of the underlying numbers he has put up during his time in Poland.

Versatility

Karbownik has played in a number of positions since his senior debut for Legia back in August 2019.

Last season, the Pole played 28 times in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of Polish football. 24 of those appearances came while playing left back, and the remaining games at right back. It has been highlighted by Graham Potter that Karbownik can play in a number of positions.

“He has a lot of adaptability; he can play either side of the defence, as well as in midfield. He’s an exciting young player who we are looking forward to having in the group.”

Karbownik made eight appearances domestically for Legia this season and interestingly most of those have been in a midfield three. His ability to carry the ball is impressive, with 3.2 progressive runs per 90 minutes last season in the Ekstraklasa, ranking him in the top ten for this metric among full backs in the league.

Comparison with Brighton defenders & output numbers

As we have seen this season, both wing backs for the Albion are also impressive in terms of progressive yards carried with Tariq Lamptey (170 yards per 90) and Solly March (157.5 yards per 90) ranking highly amongst other Premier League wing/full backs. March also has the most carries into the penalty area per 90 amongst defenders with 1.75. In Lamptey’s absence through injury, Dutch international Joel Veltman has filled in and done a pretty solid job. The 29-year-old, signed from Ajax for £900k in July 2020, ranks 11th for the same metric with 0.49.

With Karbownik’s strong progressive carries and dribbling ability (1.77 successful dribbles per 90) we could be about to see a similar style of player to Lamptey, who has impressed since his £3m move from Chelsea in January 2020. Lamptey is extremely fast and while Karbownik may not be as quick as him, his play style seems to fit the bill. Veltman has performed consistently and is reliable as ever but sometimes Albion lack an attacking threat down the right hand side without their explosive wing back able to carry the ball and dribble past the opposing defenders.

Karbownik also has a decent ball winning output – He ranked in the top 10 Ekstraklasa full back’s for defensive duels (11.3 per 90) and 2.57 PAdj (possession adjusted) tackles per 90. From this, we can see that not only are his attacking output numbers pretty good, he also does the defensive side well, which is important for a wing back in Brighton’s system. Karbownik recorded seven assists in 28 games last season, which an impressive output from left back, where he played for most of the campaign.

What part will Karbownik play between now and the end of the season?

It would be unfair to expect too much from the 19-year-old too early. March has been a mainstay in Brighton’s team at left wing back and it looks difficult to see him being dropped, especially as the Pole is getting used to his new surroundings and the demands of the Premier League. At the time of writing, Lamptey has been injured since Albion drew 0-0 away to Fulham in mid December. Veltman has impressed as his deputy but Karbownik offers you something a little different in terms of attacking output, but Veltman has proved how good a defender he is.

Karbownik will probably start off by possibly being involved in the FA Cup tie at home to Blackpool this Saturday. Premier League teams are now allowed to have nine subs, so we will most likely see him on the bench in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see what part he plays in the last 19 games of the season; his underlying numbers look good and he will provide more competition in those positions which was needed after Bernardo’s departure.

Stats courtesy of SofaScore, Wyscout, StatsBomb, Transfermarkt, @Other14The (Twitter) and @AlbionAnalytics (Twitter).

Written by Joe Glayshier (@JG_UKWN on Twitter).