“Jensen will be involved” – Brentford welcome back key midfielder ahead of Ipswich clash
With four wins and one draw in five home games in all competitions, Brentford boss Thomas Frank will be hoping to build on his sides good start to the season when they welcome Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town to the Gtech Community Stadium in Saturday’s 3pm match.
Having stated in a previous press conference that Brentford “need to make the Gtech a fortress”, Frank’s side have definitely followed through with that in the early part of this season with their home results.
Team News
Thomas Frank will be pleased to see that nearly all of his squad, as well as some of the long-term absentees, are either back involved or close to coming back.
Mathias Jensen is finally over a calf injury he sustained in August. “Jensen will be involved in the squad so that’s very positive” said a jubilant Frank of the midfielder’s availability.
Longer term absentees such as Rico Henry and Igor Thiago remain unavailable but, particularly in the case of Henry, they are not to far away from a return.
“Rico is getting closer but not close enough” the Danish head coach said of the talented English left back. “You want to be sure when you put him on the pitch, that he is ready.”
Henry was a key player for Brentford before his injury, bombing down the wing and producing crosses for the likes of Mbeumo and Ivan Toney. Frank will be hoping that he can return to that kind of form when he’s match fit once again.
In the case of Brazilian attacking pair Igor Thiago and Gustavo Nunes, their recovery is going well, with Frank saying they are “running around on the pitch, but not with the team.”
Aaron Hickey and Josh Dasilva remain among those out for a longer period of time.
The Opponents
In terms of Brentford’s opponents this Saturday, Thomas Frank had nothing but praise for the Tractor Boys, saying “Kieran McKenna and his staff have done a fantastic job to get back-to-back promotions.”
Despite their status as the plucky underdogs of the 3 promoted teams, much like Luton Town last season, Ipswich remain winless in their opening eight league games, currently sitting 17th just one point above the relegation zone.
The Bees head coach isn’t being complacent, however, adamant that Ipswich are “well-structured [and] a good team. They have a fine structure in everything they do; offensively and defensively.”
He even admitted that some of their performances have impressed him. “The away game at Brighton – the 0-0 draw – and the home games against Fulham and Aston Villa. They were very impressive.”
Frank reserved particular praise for Ipswich’s counter-attacking ability as well, saying they would need to be “very aware.” He also stated that Ipswich “press well, they press aggressively and press high.”
To neutralise this Frank’s men will have to, according to the man himself, “be very aware of how we position ourselves, but also be open to create” when higher up the pitch.
Key Players
It’s not going to be an easy game, a sentiment echoed by Frank himself, but their unbeaten home record, Ipswich’s winless start, and the fine form of players like Mikkel Damsgaard and Bryan Mbeumo should give him confidence.
With six goals in eight games, the Cameroonian international is third in the scoring charts, only trailing the indomitable Erling Haaland, and Chris Wood who he has a game in hand on.
Having scored just under half of all of Brentford’s Premier League goals to date, him hitting the back of the net again is exactly what the Bees will need to get over the line in this fixture.
One man that will be looking to continue his recent purple patch is Danish playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard. With 3 assists in the league, all coming in his last two games, he will also be looking to test Ipswich’s back line.
On Damsgaard and his integration into the squad, Frank mentioned that “Damsgaard is taking big steps after two years. Every pathway is different, but patience is definitely a key word. A big praise for him and I’m so pleased for him.”
Frank will remain hopeful that Damsgaard can assist in three games in a row, and help his team continue their unbeaten home run.
He also commented on Fabio Carvalho, their summer signing from Liverpool, saying “he’s in consideration to start every game. I’m very happy with how he trains… it’s up to him to take the opportunities.”
Frank is pleased with the performances the Portuguese youth international has shown, however he just needs to start a run of games and take those opportunities to be in the first 11 week in, week out.
Six Years at the helm
On the 16th of October, it was Thomas Frank’s 6-year anniversary as Brentford head coach, making him the second longest serving head coach, after Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
When asked about his proudest moment in those 6 years, Frank commented that it was “it must be the play-off final that we won, when we got promoted that day… it was a magic moment in every aspect.”
It was a moment that marked Brentford’s first ever foray into the top division of English football and a moment that he, and everyone else who was involved, will look back at with immense fondness.
Frank was also asked about their continued success in the league, to which he stated it was a “combination of many things, with the big thing being a clear strategy, a clear alignment and a good structure in the club.”
He also praised his superiors, the coaching staff, the players and the constant development of the club. Also emphasised was the importance of the consistent messages throughout his time there.
Brentford kick off against Ipswich Town at the Gtech Community Stadium at 3pm on Saturday.
