Brentford's Manager Thomas Frank during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on August 25, 2024
Brentford manager Thomas Frank (Image: Dave Howarth - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Brentford have used the international break to great effect by building up the fitness of four forgotten men ahead of their clash against Newcastle United on Wednesday night.
The Bees, who were in good form before the Premier League pause, have seen their injuries clear up over the last fortnight. Thomas Frank could be boosted by the return of first team stars Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey, Gustavo Nunes and Michael Kayode for their upcoming clashes against Newcastle and Chelsea.
The foursome have been injury-plagued this season. However, games during the international break for Brentford's under-21 side and in a bounce game against West Ham have sharpened up their fitness and put minutes in the legs.
On Monday night, the Bees' under-21 team beat Fleetwood Town 2-0 at Wheatsheaf Park. Hickey and Nunes featured for 45 minutes with Henry managing 70 minutes. It is a huge boost for Frank, who has been without the players for vast chunks of the season.
Left-back Henry has suffered a catalogue of injuries, but played over an hour on his return against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup, before a three-minute cameo against Manchester City in the Premier League in January - his only top flight appearance of the season.
The defender missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury, and then suffered a hamstring injury after the City clash and hasn't featured for the first team since. However, he played in a friendly against West Ham last week before the U21s game on Monday, and has come through unscathed.
The training match saw a mix of first-team and fringe players beat West Ham through an Iwan Morgan strike. As well as Henry's appearance, it also saw the return to action of Michael Kayode, the loan signing from Fiorentina who has been sidelined with a knee injury. Kayode has played just four times totalling 30 minutes for the Bees since joining on loan in January.
The re-emergence of Nunes, however, is arguably the most eye-catching. Brentford paid £10m to sign the 18-year-old from Brazilian side Gremio last summer but the winger has still to make his debut after a stress fracture in his lower back.
With summer signing Fabio Carvalho still out injured, Frank's attacking resources are depleted although Brayan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are expected to lead the line at St James' Park. Forgotten man Nunes could feature from the bench.
Speaking about the player as he arrived at the Gtech Community Stadium last year, Frank said: “I am very excited that we have managed to sign Gustavo. It is another good signing; we have fought with other clubs. He is a winger who can go past players one-on-one. He is direct and he can create.
“Gustavo has a lot of potential and of course we need to maximise that in every aspect. He needs time to settle, but this is a very exciting signing.”
Hickey, meanwhile, has been out since October 2023 with a serious hamstring injury. It had been feared that the Scotland international could miss the entire of this season having had to undergo two surgeries, but his return for the U21s offers light at the end of the tunnel, though the trip to Tyneside is probably too early for him.
Brentford predicted XI: Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa