Joey Thorpe was visiting Rome to watch Brighton and Hove Albion play (Picture: Getty)

A group of Brighton fans who were attacked ahead of their team’s match against Roma have been left too frightened to leave their hotel room.

Two of the group of six friends, aged 28 and 29, were hospitalised with knife wounds after the attack in Rome, Italy at around midnight on Wednesday.

Brighton and Hove Albion are set to play Roma in a Europa League match at Rome’s Olympic Stadium this evening.

A police spokesman said the footie fans had been attacked in the street by ‘six or seven people wearing masks’.

The pair were also robbed of their bag containing their IDs and wallets.

Police say they were stabbed in the legs, and while they are still in hospital their condition is not thought to be life-threatening.
Joey Thorpe was also assaulted (Picture: Social media)

The match will take place at Rome’s Olympic Stadium (Picture: AP)

Italian media say there are more than 4,000 Brighton and Hove Albion supporters expected to watch the match in the country’s capital this evening.

Police are scouring CCTV cameras for footage of the incident, and pubs and restaurants as well as monuments in the city will be guarded ahead of potential clashes between supporters.

It’s also been reported that two people have already been questioned in relation to the attack.

But Joey and his friends feel so unsafe after the attack that they plan to stay in their h...