Brentford look to bounce back from a run of poor form as they travel to second-placed Manchester City to kick off the final weekend of Premier League action ahead of the World Cup.
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The Cityzens have lost just one of their last 5, and comfortably dispatched Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in midweek to move on to the fourth round of the competition. On the flip side, Thomas Frank’s side have won just one of their last five Premier League games, though they have drawn three of those, and currently sit marooned in midtable. They were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by League Two Gillingham in midweek.
Read on for the latest team news and how we expect the Bees to line up at the Etihad this weekend.
Predicted XI
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Toney to return
In the biggest news for the Bees, Ivan Toney is set to return, having served his one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards during their 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.
Having been overlooked by Gareth Southgate for the World Cup form, he may return to Thomas Frank’s side with a point to prove, and could well cause plenty of problems for a depleted Manchester City defence.
Hickey and Jansson still sidelined
In less ideal news for Brentford, defensive duo Aaron Hickey and Pontus Jansson remain sidelined through injuries, though both are expected back after the World Cup.
This will come as a major boost to Thomas Frank, whose squad is already stretched thinly across the backline, while Hickey in particular could add plenty going forwards too.
With over a month until the next game for the Bees, it is just a matter of getting out of this tough period and resetting over the World Cup.