Brentford v Huddersfield Town Saturday 19 December 2015 Griffin Park Kick-off: 3pm
The season so far
Last season this fixture at Griffin Park saw The Bees run out 4-1 winners, the only win in six previous meetings with Huddersfield Town. The Terriers are trying to shake off last month’s run of form that saw them only pick up a point in the whole of November, leaving them perilously close to the bottom three.
Their summer recruits include international experience in the forms of Australian defender Jason Davidson [West Bromwich Albion] and Martin Cranie [Barnsley], who was capped by England at youth level.
West Yorkshire-born goalkeeper Alex Smithies left the club in August after spending almost 17 years with The Terriers. After making 247 league appearances for his boyhood club, helping them to promotion in 2012, he signed a three-year deal with Queens Park Rangers. Town also sold highly rated Merseyside midfielder Conor Coady to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Oscar Gobern [Queens Park Rangers], Dale Hopson [Darlington] Jon Stead [Notts County] and Jacob Butterfield [Derby County] also moved on in search of new challenges.
All three midfield summer loan signings - Emyr Huws [Wigan Athletic], Jamie Paterson [Nottingham Forest] and Mustapha Carayol [Middlesbrough] - have been on the scoresheet this season, combing for seven goals so far. Goalkeeper Jed Steer [Aston Villa] was brought in to plug the gap left by Smithies and Ben Chilwell [Leicester City] has just broken into the First Team at fullback.
The squad will be without Dean Whitehead today as he was recently ruled out with a knee injury until the New Year.
The Gaffer
David Wagner has been Head Coach of Huddersfield Town for almost two months, after taking over from Chris Powell in early November. The 44-year-old previously worked under Jürgen Klopp at Borussia Dormund, alongside his assistant Christoph Bühler, where they were in charge of BVB’s second squad.
Wagner played professionally as a striker in his native country Germany, lining up for Mainz 05 and Schalke 04 throughout the 1990s. Eligible due to his American father, he represented the United States at international level.
The officials
Referee: Darren Deadman
Assistant Referees: Gavin Muge and Nicholas Cooper
Fourth Official: Nicholas Kinseley
You can hear live match commentary of the entire match on Bees Player from 2.15pm, with commentator Mark Burridge.