Injury update: Brentford duo return to full training | OneFootball

Brentford duo Aaron Hickey and Igor Thiago have returned to full training.

Full-back Hickey (hamstring) has been unavailable since October 2023, while striker Thiago (knee) has been restricted to four appearances since his move from Club Brugge in the summer, with the most recent of those coming against Newcastle United in December.

“Hickey and Thiago are both training fully with the team now,” head coach Thomas Frank revealed ahead of the Bees’ Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Thursday.

“They have done that for the last couple of trainings. They won’t be ready for Nottingham, but it’s very positive. Everyone is available from the last game.”

Asked if Hickey and Thiago are likely to return before the end of the season, Frank responded: “Hopefully. Fingers crossed for that. When they are training fully with the team, they are definitely close. How close, we will see over the next one to two weeks.”

One player who will not feature again this term is midfielder Vitaly Janelt, who recently had surgery to address an issue in his heel.

“It’s something that Vitaly and me spoke about and agreed that the timing is right,” said Frank.

“Vitaly has been carrying this issue throughout the season. He has done so well to manage it, make himself available and help the team.

“He’s pushed through pain and all sorts of things. It’s probably limited him a little bit to top perform, but he’s still put fine, good performances out there. He’s helped the team massively.

“Now it’s the right timing and hopefully it will get him back early next season.”

Frank added: “Vitaly has been a key played since he came here. He started more or less every game last year. He’s a key player, a key character, and one of the reasons why we’ve been quite successful in the Premier League.”

Fábio Carvalho (shoulder) is unlikely to feature again this campaign, while Josh Dasilva (knee) is also sidelined.