Brentford Manager Thomas Frank Discusses Player Fitness, Thiago, and Upcoming Bournemouth Match

Thomas Frank, the manager of Brentford, addressed reporters in advance of his team’s Premier League fixture on Saturday against Bournemouth, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press briefing: Frank offered an update on player fitness, stating: “No-one new will be available. We were optimistic with [Kristoffer Ajer] but he didn’t cope with the training as well as we thought. He is probably out for a few more weeks with a foot injury.” Additionally, Frank confirmed that the club is exercising “extra cautious” measures regarding Rico Henry’s recovery process. He also noted that Igor Thiago and Gustavo Nunes are “training very well”. The manager expressed anticipation for Thiago’s return, commenting: “[He will add] extra firepower up front. He is a different type to [Yoane] Wissa and Kevin Schade as a more physical presence. He’s even better in the air and in the box.” When questioned about his team’s tendency to drop the most points from winning positions within the league, Frank responded: “It’s not a real concern. We had a bit of extra awareness that we needed to defend better than in the first nine games and I think we did that against Fulham. It was a step in the right direction.” Regarding the team’s opponents for Saturday, Frank stated: “They have been fantastic. They have been one of the most positive teams this season and Andoni [Iraola] has done a top job with his staff. They have a lot of threat going forward and they are very dynamic. We need to deal with their long balls and track their runners.” Addressing Brentford’s difficulties in away matches, he commented: “The main bit is the fixture programme. We’ve had some tough away fixtures where we could have got more out of them from the performances we had.”