Andreas Bjelland is hoping to come back stronger after returning from his latest injury setback at Boreham Wood on Friday night.

The Danish defender damaged his knee ligaments on his full Brentford debut in the League Cup defeat to Oxford last August and was ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

It mirrored the ill fortune the 28 year old had after signing for FC Twente four years ago, when a broken metatarsal saw him miss six months of his first season.

Bjelland would go on to suffer groin, rib, chest and thigh injuries during his three-year stay in the Netherlands, so a further blow so soon into his Bees career was as harsh as it was unwelcome.

Only previous appearance: Bjelland in action against Oxford

He said: “It's been a long wait, a really long year, but it's good to be back, just to get some minutes in the legs and enjoy football again.

“The same happened when I went to Holland and I was out for six to eight months. Straight afterwards I played four games and got injured again, so I knew the drill.

“But it was a horrible injury, big surgery. It took a lot of time and a lot of hard training to get back, but hopefully I can benefit from all of that now.”

It was even tougher on a player trying to settle in a new country, and although he had Danish international team-mate Lasse Vibe to confide in, Bjelland admits it was lonely slog at times.

Bjelland's Bees debut was a game to forget

Video Loading

He said: “It's been really difficult because you're not really a part of anything. You come in and train all day and the others have the game to talk about and travel together.

“Especially as a new guy coming in who didn't really know anyone, it was tough. It's tough mentally to see the guys go out to a game and you're sitting on the couch or watching in the stadium.

“It's was good to know Lasse from the national side though, and I also had two good friends from Denmark living in London that I saw a lot. It's important when you have a big injury to leave it at the club, to go home and take a deep breath and get some new energy for the next time.”

Bjelland's time on the sidelines coincided with a roller-coaster of a season for the club, and it is a much different set-up he is looking to break into now from the one he encountered a year ago.

poll loading

What's your first choice centre back partnership at Brentford this season?

He said: “It's a fresh start for me. I need to find my role, get as many minutes as I can during pre-season and show I have to play, as well as looking after the knee so it doesn't swell up.

“It was actually good to come back in this pre-season because everyone was smiling and happy because of the end to last season. We've got smiles back on our faces.”

Bjelland fortunately came through 45 minutes at Boreham Wood unscathed, but admits an injury like the one he suffered can weigh on your mind once you're back in full contact games.

He added: “I've trained a lot with the guys and did a lot of contact, but there's always a little bit when you go in. The guys you're playing against don't know it, so you need to get the first little contact before you lose the feel, but that's all about timing.”