Brentford’s Dasilva facing ‘months’ out with hamstring injury

Brentford have been hit with a double injury blow ahead of their London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, with boss Thomas Frank confirming both are “longer-term” injuries.

Josh Dasilva is set for “months” on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, according to Frank, while Shandon Baptiste will miss extended time with a dislocated shoulder picked up in training this week.

Dasilva, who suffered his injury in the recent west London derby against Fulham. previously spent a year out of action with a hip problem.

Frank said: “It’s tough. Injuries are so tough for the players. I feel for him (Dasilva) because in many ways he’s been working so hard to come back to his normal level.

“There are setbacks in football and in life and how you respond to those is what makes you as a person, and I’m not in doubt that Josh will fight back.”

Dasilva, who joined the club from Arsenal in 2018, has a year left on his current contract with the option of a further additional year.

Asked about the player’s long-term future, Frank said: “The main focus for us right now is to support Josh.

“He’s a player who has been with us for a long time and we really like him as a player and a person.”

Veteran defender Ben Mee remains unavailable, with Frank reiterating the club must be cautious with the defender in his return from injury.

“This game has come too quickly for Ben Mee. Ben was so good for us last season, so we don’t want to rush into it,” Frank explained.

“He’s been training harder today and will be available and most likely start on Tuesday against Newport.”