Frank: Damsgaard not ready to start for Brentford

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Mikkel Damsgaard will not be ready to start for Brentford against Fulham tomorrow.

Sergi Canos and Kristoffer Ajer will also be absent from the game due to hamstring issues, while Ethan Pinnock remains sidelined with a knee problem.

“Ajer and Canos are getting closer,” boss Thomas Frank said.

“It’s still too soon for the Fulham game but it’s a fit and available squad from last week.

“It’s been a good week for Damsgaard but he’s not yet fit to start a Premier League game.

“I’m very aware that Damsgaard is a player that I’m impatient to play and get him on the pitch.

“But, for me, he’s the type of player we need to make sure is looking good in the long run. Not that he can’t look very good in the short run or the short-term, but he needs to be built correctly.

“It’s not only with Damsgaard. We experienced it last year with Ajer coming in from a different club and a lot of players when they come to us, they need to adapt to the intensity we train with.

“That’s Aaron Hickey, that’s Keane (Lewis-Potter), even Ben Mee who has played in the Premier League. We train with a different intensity so the body needs to get used to that and we’re very aware of that.

“It’s about having them fit but not injuring them. That fine balance.”