[BBC]
Brentford are heading into the final six games of the season with European football very much in their grasp, but head coach Keith Andrews has found himself juggling a lengthy injury list.
The Bees were relatively unscathed in the early stages of this campaign, but a glut of injuries have hit in recent weeks.
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According to website Premier League Injuries, only Tottenham and Manchester United have more in the the treatment room than the west London club.
It is a less than ideal situation, especially as the top five teams are set to qualify for the Champions League, sixth place will secure a Europa League spot and seventh place will be enough for the Conference League.
Andrews’ side are currently seventh on 47 points – one point off sixth-placed Chelsea and level on points but with a better goal difference than eighth-placed Everton.
Long-term absentees include summer-signing Antoni Milambo and midfielder Fabio Carvalho, who Andrews confirmed are both recovering from anterior cruciate ligament injuries and will miss the rest of the campaign.
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Josh Dasilva, who has barely featured in the past couple of campaigns due to various injuries and has not kicked a ball again this season, remains unavailable after damaging the ligaments in his right knee during a training session in February 2024.
However, the midfielder is reportedly back in “modified training” and could yet feature before the end of this term.
Other injury concerns include full-back Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and defensive midfielder Vitaly Janelt (metatarsal), who have both been unavailable since the Bees’ 2-0 defeat by Brighton on 21 February.
In his pre-match news conference last week, Andrews confirmed Hickey is closer to a return than Janelt: “Aaron isn’t too far away as he trained with the group this week. Vitaly is a bit further away, I don’t know how long exactly.”
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However, it has all gone quiet regarding Rico Henry. The left-back, who was out for nearly two years before coming back this season, was sidelined with a hamstring injury back in March.
While Jordan Henderson is also “out for a few weeks” after picking up a knock on England international duty.
The spate injuries have left Brentford short of options at full-back and down to their last three fit central midfielders in Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen and Yehor Yarmoliuk.
With six pivotal games left to play, Andrews would certainly welcome having a few more players at his disposal between now and the end of the season.
What do you think about the current situation? How how big an impact will the injury pile-up have on the club’s fight for European football?
Let us know your thoughts here