Keith Andrews Explains Jannik Schuster Withdrawal After Aston Villa Draw

Keith Andrews decided not to take any further risk with Jannik Schuster after the defender aggravated an ankle problem during Brentford's 2-2 draw at Aston Villa.

Schuster had already been carrying a knock before travelling to Villa Park and Andrews admitted afterwards that the 20-year-old hadn’t looked fully comfortable in Brentford's final training session. There were similar signs during the warm-up before another incident involving his ankle during the first half.

Andrews made the change at the interval, replacing Schuster with Aaron Hickey.

“Jannik picked up a knock during the week,” Andrews said after the game. “He didn’t quite look amazing in training yesterday, how he was moving.

“It felt similar today in the warm-up. There was just a little incident with his ankle, so I thought it was the right decision just to take him out of the firing line.”

It brought Schuster's third consecutive Premier League start to an early end. The Austrian defender stepped in after Nathan Collins' calf injury, then started against Bournemouth and Chelsea ahead of the international break, before assuming a starting role against Villa.

Collins returned to training before the trip but wasn't included in the matchday squad, while Sepp van den Berg was back among the substitutes after recovering from a groin injury. Schuster therefore remained alongside Kristoffer Ajer as Andrews changed shape and handed El Hadji Malick Diouf his first Premier League start.

Hickey was asked to fill in at centre-back after the break, an unfamiliar role for a player more accustomed to operating on either side of the defence. Andrews had no concerns about trusting him there.

“I just trust Aaron to do that,” he said. “It’s not a position that’s natural to him, I wouldn’t say, but he is a very natural footballer and has huge game intelligence. He adapted to it really well.”

Brentford then lost Kevin Schade seven minutes into the second half.

The Germany international had been involved in Yehor Yarmoliuk's opening goal, winning possession high up the pitch before Igor Thiago eventually found Yarmoliuk to finish. Schade also went close shortly after half-time when Zion Suzuki kept out his volley, but he was withdrawn soon afterwards and replaced by Mamadou Sangaré.

Andrews could offer little detail on Schade immediately after the final whistle.

“Just a shoulder injury. I’m not totally sure how he is.”

Schade has started each of Brentford's opening six Premier League matches and went into the international break after scoring twice at Bournemouth, before playing his part in the 3-0 win over Chelsea. With his early-season form earning him a nomination for September's Premier League Player of the Month award.

Brentford still left Villa Park with a point despite the need to alter their defence at half-time, then losing Schade soon after. Nicolas Jackson cancelled out Yarmoliuk's early opener before John McGinn put Villa ahead late in the second half, with Ajer equalising two minutes later.

Despite a tough day at Villa Park, Brentford extended their unbeaten start to six Premier League matches, their longest unbeaten opening to a league season since 2006/07. Andrews gave no timescale for either Schuster or Schade after the game, with both now requiring further assessment following their early withdrawals.