Brentford duo Jota and Josh McEachran are not quite ready to start, but Maxime Colin and Alan McCormack could return to the line-up for tomorrow's visit of Huddersfield Town.
Former Chelsea junior McEachran and Spaniard Jota have both been sidelined since the summer but have been back in the squad in recent weeks, with Jota making a couple of welcome cameos and McEachran making his debut off the bench at Cardiff on Tuesday night.
Fans have been calling for Jota, whose performances elevated him to cult hero status last season, and summer signing McEachran, who was expected to be Brentford's midfield creator this term, to play from the start.
However, Bees boss Dean Smith is wary of playing them too much too soon, revealing that the pair are not ready for 90 minutes of action and are better suited to coming on as impact subs for now.
He said: “You have to be patient with them. You have to get the match minutes in to get them up to speed, but I'm not sure they're ready to start yet.
“They could break down after 70 minutes, but I'd rather bring them on against tiring teams. Their fitness is getting better and better, and they're both having their own mini pre-seasons.
“They will be ready soon, I'm sure. When I think they can last the the game they will be back in, until then they will be impact subs.
“Josh is probably slightly closer to getting a start than Jota is.”
Colin, who has been sidelined since September, and McCormack, who has only been out a few weeks, may, by contrast, be ready to reclaim their places.
Smith said: “We've got Alan back to full fitness so he will be available straight away, while Maxime is ready to go the 90 minutes if required – he has proved his fitness really well.
“We will then have Marco (Djuricin) back in a few weeks to put the pressure on Lasse and Hoff. He's running in straight lines now, which is a good sign.
“It will be a nice problem to have (picking the team). Everyone wants a fully fit squad, and we still have a few long term injuries, but I now have 20 really good players to choose from.”
