Andrews on injuries, a 'weird' break and 'natural' Thiago interest
Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST). Here are the key lines from his news conference: There are no fresh injury concerns following the break, but some players returned from international duty with "obvious disappointment". He explained: "They all came back with contrasting emotions.
Some had the elation of representing their country for the first time and some had the heartbreak of not getting to the World Cup. " He added: "For the players that experienced disappointment, it was good to have those extra few days to just decompress and spend a bit of time with family. I'm sure it would've been nice to not have to think about football.
" Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and Vitaly Janelt (metatarsal) are in different places with their injuries. He explained: "Aaron probably won't make tomorrow, but he isn't too far away as he trained with the group this week. Vitaly is a bit further away, it is a different type of injury and length so I don't know how long exactly.
" The three-week break felt "weird and very unusual", but it gave the squad chance to "recharge and refresh" ready for the final seven game run-in. However, he added: "You just never know with this amount of time off. You do your best to make sure you're training at the right level to ensure you're not sluggish on return.
I do think the energy and verve around the place has been really good this week, though. " On his side only losing one of their last eight Premier League fixtures but also only winning one of their last six league games, he said: "You can spin our form either way. There have been ups and downs in those games, without doubt, but equally we have played some really difficult sides.