The 20-year-old suffered a significant injury to his knee in Brentford’s draw with Middlesbrough on 30 September and it was established that he would need surgery to address the problem. The defender, who has played for England at Under-19 and Under-20 level, had the procedure at the end of October and is now beginning his rehabilitation.

Neil Greig, Brentford FC Head of Medical, said: “Rico’s surgery was deemed successful and he has now begun the process of restoring normal daily function under the care or our medical staff, as is usual with such injuries. Rico’s progression over the coming weeks will be monitored by the achievement of several specific objectives relating to both his knee function and his overall physical condition, rather than a time-based plan.

“Such injures, whilst disappointing for us all, offer an opportunity to develop the player not only physically, but also tactically, technically and psychologically and Rico will be offered a great deal of input from many excellent sources. We hope that this provides him a platform to return to the squad as both a physically well-conditioned athlete and a well-rounded individual.

“Rico’s commitment in these early stages of his recovery have been excellent and we have no doubt that his attitude will lead to a successful return to action at the appropriate time. We will offer further updates on Rico’s progress as appropriate.”