Thomas Frank Addresses Squad Fitness, Norgaard’s Red Card, and Leicester City Match Preparation

Brentford manager Thomas Frank addressed the media ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Leicester City, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Frank began by providing an update on the squad’s fitness, stating: “In general, it’s good. We have no more injuries and we are progressing with the players who are out. Kristoffer [Ajer] and [Gustavo] Nunes will not be available for this game.” When questioned about the possibility of the club signing a left-back in January to address injury concerns, he responded: “Eight different players can play at full-back, so I think we have enough. Never say never, but I think we will be fine.” Regarding the overturning of Christian Norgaard’s red card, Frank commented: “It’s more happiness that we have him available for the next three games. It would have been a very harsh decision. I’m very happy that it was correctly overturned.” Addressing errors made by VAR, he remarked: “This will be an ongoing thing. We are luckily still dealing with people and not AI. Human beings can make mistakes. I think it is progressing in the right way.” Concerning record signing Igor Thiago’s return to full fitness, Frank noted: “He played 70 minutes with the B team on Tuesday so he is more ready to potentially start games – but he will not start [on Saturday].” Discussing their opponents, who are currently without a permanent manager following Steve Cooper’s dismissal last Sunday, Frank stated: “It’s terrible timing for us. I’m always sad to hear when a fellow coach gets sacked. I know Steve quite well and I think he’s a brilliant coach. Looking from the outside, I don’t really know why [he was sacked].” Regarding preparation for the upcoming match, he explained: “We don’t know exactly what they will come with. I have watched zero minutes of Leicester this week because I think it’s a waste of time. It’s 70-80 percent about us.”