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Brentford Team News and Predicted XI vs Brighton & Hove Albion: Yehor Yarmoliuk To Start?
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- Brentford Team News and Predicted XI vs Brighton & Hove Albion: Yehor Yarmoliuk To Start?
Yehor Yarmoliuk is set to return to the Brentford squad on Sunday afternoon after completing his three match suspension as Keith Andrews' Brentford side head to the American Express Stadium to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Bees will make the trip to the south coast in good spirits, having secured a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in their previous Premier League outing - a result which saw them maintain sixth place in the table.
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However, hosts Brighton will likely pose the toughest challenge Brentford have faced this season after an incredible start to the season themselves under Fabian Hurzeler.
The Seagulls sit third in the Premier League, having beaten Manchester City 1-0 away from home last weekend.
Both meetings between the two sides last season went the way of Brighton, who beat Brentford 2-1 at home 12 months ago and then again 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium in February...
Latest Brentford Team News
Yehor Yarmoliuk is fully fit and available for selection again after missing Brentford's last three games due to a red card in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last month.
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The Ukranian midfielder had started three games in a row for the Bees prior to his suspension, including the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa in which he scored.
Yehor Yarmoliuk celebrates his goal against Aston Villa (Photo by IMAGO / Every Second Media)
In a bid to maintain fitness during his suspension, Yarmoliuk featured for Brentford's Under 21 side on Monday evening and scored in a 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers, in a game which also saw Josh Dasilva play 30 minutes.
Dasilva returned to action in May after almost two and a half years out with a knee injury but is yet to feature for the first team this season, having picked up a hamstring injury whilst aiming to build fitness with the Under 21 side in late August.
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Another long term absentee Antoni Milambo, who has not featured for Brentford for over a year due to an ACL injury, is also edging closer to a return.
Questioned on the duo in his pre-match press conference, Keith Andrews said: "[Milambo is] probably not [available] just yet. He's trained pretty consistently over the last week, 10 days, and did a really tough session today."
"Josh is a little bit closer, but we'll look to build him more and more as the weeks go on."
Rico Henry, Fabio Carvalho and Kaye Furo meanwhile all remain sidelined until after the international break.
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Predicted XI
Perhaps Brentford's biggest selection debate comes in the midfield with the return of Yarmoliuk, and whether or not he gets the nod over club-record signing Mamadou Sangare.
Vitaly Janelt appears nailed on to start, but questions remain over who will be starting alongside him in the pivot on Sunday.
It cannot be ruled out that Andrews opts for a setup that allows all three to start, with Yarmoliuk potentially playing a slightly more advanced role in front of the pivot of Sangare and Janelt, as was the case in the 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth, in a bid to maintain a defensively strong midfield away to one of the league's best performers this season.
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Should Andrews not opt for Yarmoliuk further forward, Mathias Jensen will likely start in the number 10 role, although Mikkel Damsgaard will hope to be given an opportunity there instead.
In defence, changes will be unlikely after an impressive display to secure a clean sheet last weekend against Nottingham Forest, in which the centre back pairing in particular of Sepp Van Den Berg and Kristoffer Ajer were excellent.
Sepp Van Den Berg battles Dan Ndoye in the win over Nottingham Forest (Photo by IMAGO / ActionPlus)
Jaidon Anthony will hope his excellent assist off the bench against Forest to set up Igor Thiago's goal could be enough to see him force his way back into the front three, however the equally impressive performance of Dango Ouattara that afternoon will likely see the Burkina Faso international preferred again.
Predicted Brentford XI to face Brighton & Hove Albion: Kelleher; Kayode, Van Den Berg, Ajer, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Janelt; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Thiago
