Igor Thiago, the club record signing, has been sidelined until “late 2024” because of a knee injury, according to Brentford. Thiago signed a contract with Brentford earlier this month after the Bees and Club Brugge agreed to a £32 million deal in February. The Brazilian had a successful 2023–24 season, making 55 appearances across all competitions and scoring 29 goals. Thiago continued to play well in the preseason for his new team, defeating AFC Wimbledon 5-2 in his first game back at Brentford with two goals.But it didn’t take long to learn that the 23-year-old had hurt his knee during the friendly match against the League Two team. After a successful knee operation, the Bees have officially acknowledged that their new striker will miss months of time. “Thiago sustained a meniscus injury during the Bees’ 5-2 victory over AFC Wimbledon on July 20, which has been repaired,” a statement from Brentford stated. “The striker will now begin a period of recovery and rehabilitation and is expected to return towards the end of the year.”Given that Thiago will likely miss some time due to injury, Brentford might be hesitant to let Toney move before the transfer deadline at the end of the month. As he approaches the last 12 months of his contract, Toney’s departure from the Gtech Community Stadium has been speculated. Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United seem to be the front-runners, however teams like Arsenal and Manchester United have previously been linked to a move. In the event that Toney were to depart, Brentford manager Thomas Frank might have to start Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade, or Yoane Wissa at centre forward until Thiago gets back into the game.
