Brentford FC Head of Medical Neil Greig has provided an update for fans on the current injury situation. There were four players unavailable for the Sky Bet Championship match against Huddersfield Town on Saturday, 19 December, with Jota, Josh McEachran and Maxime Colin all featuring after working their way back to fitness. Lewis Macleod, Marcos Djuricin, Scott Hogan and Andreas Bjelland were not available and Neil gave www.brentfordfc.co.uk a progress report.
Neil said: “Lewis Macleod has been training with the First Team squad for the last three weeks, following a small setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury, and completed around 80 minutes of Monday's Development Squad match against Cardiff City. Lewis has trained well and his fitness continues to improve after what has been a long and complicated road to recovery. Along with Lewis, we will decide as a group of staff the most appropriate point to introduce him to First Team games, based on ongoing monitoring of his objective markers and his football performances in training. Lewis' application and attitude has been exemplary to date and he will thoroughly deserve his chance when it arrives.
“Marco Djuricin has progressed well following an ankle injury and is working outside with medical and conditioning staff. His short-term aim is to begin controlled elements of team training over the coming two weeks, at which point his condition will be assessed and a longer term plan devised. To date however, Marco has demonstrated a great desire to recover and return in great condition for the remainder of the season.
“Scott Hogan had a very positive eight-month follow up appointment with his consultant yesterday [Tuesday], following a second significant injury to his left knee in April 2015. Scott spent time in Philadelphia in October 2015 working with the renowned ACL reconditioning coach Bill Knowles. Since this point he has continued to work outside and in the gym with our medical and conditioning staff. Scott has effectively needed to re-learn many of the movements and patterns that most players will take for granted and his journey has been long and not without disappointment.
“However, following today's meeting, Scott will now commence what we hope to be the final stages of his recovery, which will be aimed at him returning to non-First Team games by the end of February, followed by First Team action at the point he demonstrates that he is able. Scott is not out of the woods with this injury as yet, however, there is definitely significant light at the end of the tunnel, which is testament to his mental strength and belief in himself.
“Andreas Bjelland has also been progressing well following surgery to reconstruct injured ligaments in his left knee. We had a slow start to Andreas' recovery due to the nature of the surgical procedure and the post-operative protocol. However, in recent weeks Andreas has regained normal movement in the knee and has developed his strength and coordination to the point where he has begun running on the anti-gravity treadmill at the Training Ground, which is major step forwards.
“Our plan looking forwards is to continue to monitor Andreas' objective strength and coordination markers and as these continue to improve we will progress him to outdoor running drills in the New Year. The Club have been collaborating with medical staff in Andreas' home nation of Denmark, where he has spent two short periods of his rehab, and we hope to continue this positive relationship as Andreas moves towards full fitness.”
All other First Team squad members are fit, in training and available for selection.