'I almost died' - Brighton star Julio Enciso reveals terrifying ordeal on plane journey to Paraguay international duty

Enciso has revealed that he endured a nightmarish trip back to South America from England, as he aims to play for Paraguay against Ecuador on Wednesday. He has claimed that he passed out and required help from another passenger, as he feared for his life.

Enciso has made five substitute appearances for Brighton thus far this season but has been included in Paraguay's squad to play both Ecuador and Venezuela. Both games are 2026 World Cup qualifiers - Paraguay have not qualified for the tournament since 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.

Enciso told Del Paraguay: “My head hurts. I almost died, I fainted on the plane. I was powerless, I didn’t eat or sleep well. At one point I got up to go to the bathroom and I felt like I was falling.

“A guy grabbed me and took me to the front. He made me drink coke and a Japanese soup and that did me good.”

Seemingly Enciso has recovered and is aiming to play for Paraguay this week. Once he returns to England, Brighton play Newcastle on October 19.