Will Brentford's Mikkel Damsgaard (right) be fit for tomorrow's clash at Aston Villa? (Image: PA)
Will Brentford's Mikkel Damsgaard (right) be fit for tomorrow's clash at Aston Villa? (Image: PA)
Keith Andrews provided a team news update ahead of Brentford's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
The Bees head to Villa Park unbeaten in all competitions, hoping to make it another win in the second city following a 5-1 Carabao Cup demolition of Birmingham City in August.
And following a resounding well-deserved 3-0 win over Chelsea, Andrews' side head to the West Midlands brimming with confidence.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Brentford head coach revealed Josh Dasilva and Antoni Milambo will not be involved.
Cruelly, Milambo suffered a knock which has set the midfielder back a little bit according to the Bees head coach.
Andrews was tight-lipped on the potential involvement of Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg and Mathias Jensen, stating they were all training on the grass.
So which selection headaches does Andrews face as Brentford look to remain unbeaten in all competitions so far?
Will Brentford's Mikkel Damsgaard (right) be fit for tomorrow's clash at Aston Villa? (Image: PA)
If Collins and van den Berg are available, who goes in? The answer is neither.
Since being thrusted into the limelight, Jannik Schuster has barely put a foot wrong in central defence, establishing a solid partnership with Kristoffer Ajer.
It would be very harsh on the Austrian if he found himself on the bench against Unai Emery's side.
However, Brentford do face another dilemma but this time in attacking midfield. Mikkel Damsgaard missed Denmark's Nations League victory over Wales after picking up an ankle problem in their 4-2 defeat against Portugal last Thursday.
Andrews referred to the Dane as being one of the players training on the grass, which perhaps could be an indication the 26-year-old is available for Saturday's trip to Villa Park.
If Damsgaard isn't deemed fit to start, that leaves either Jensen or the rejuvenated Fábio Carvalho, who has scored in his last two games.
Given Carvalho has returned from an ACL injury, it would not be a surprise to see Jensen take over the attacking midfield reins.
The 30-year-old provides that extra bit of creativity and ball retention, which will be crucial against Villa's combative midfield duo João Gomes and Boubacar Kamara.
Predicted Brentford XI: Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Schuster, Lewis-Potter; Sangaré, Janelt; Anthony, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago.
Subs from: Valdimarsson, Collins, Van den Berg, Henry, Hickey, Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Carvalho, Ouattara, Wilson.