Brentford Predicted XI vs Aston Villa: Sangaré Could Return With Damsgaard a Doubt

Keith Andrews did not have many reasons to change his Brentford side before the international break. A 3-0 win over Chelsea was their joint-best result of the season and left the Bees unbeaten in five Premier League matches.

Mikkel Damsgaard's ankle injury complicates that picture for Saturday's trip to Aston Villa.

The Denmark midfielder was hurt late in the 4-2 defeat to Portugal and missed the final game of the international window against Wales. He had already scored twice and provided an assist across his three appearances before the problem brought his involvement to an early end.

If Damsgaard is not ready to start at Villa Park, Sangaré looks the most likely player to come back into the XI.

That would not mean asking him to take over Damsgaard's role. Brentford have already started Sangaré, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt together this season, with the three forming the midfield in the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth before the international break.

Damsgaard subsequently came into the side against Chelsea as Sangaré dropped to the bench, changing the make-up of the midfield.

Andrews could return to the Bournemouth combination at Villa Park. Sangaré gives Brentford more physical presence and has shown he can affect the game further forward, while Janelt has been a regular presence in midfield and Yarmoliuk has started twice in the Premier League so far.

There is another selection call behind them which may depend less on availability than it first appeared.

Nathan Collins was ruled out until after the international break when he suffered a calf injury against Sunderland, so Villa had always been a possible target for his return. Jannik Schuster has used the intervening games well.

Schuster started at Bournemouth and then kept his place for the 3-0 win over Chelsea, when Brentford recorded a clean sheet. That gives Andrews little reason to make an immediate change if Collins has only recently returned to full training.

Collins being available would strengthen the bench and give the Bees their captain back as an option. It does not necessarily mean he has to return straight to the XI.

Schuster and Ajer therefore get the nod again here, with Michael Kayode and Keane Lewis-Potter either side of them. Caoimhín Kelleher has started every league game in goal and there is no selection question there.

Whilst the front three from the Bees’ win over Chelsea earned their opportunity for a start at Aston Villa.

Jaidon Anthony and Igor Thiago both scored in that win, while Kevin Schade has continued his strong start to the season. Dango Ouattara would normally be pushing hard for a place, but illness prevented him from playing for Burkina Faso during the international break and Brentford will need to assess him after his return.

Fábio Carvalho provided another reminder of the options available to Andrews when he came from the bench to score the third against Chelsea. For this one, though, Anthony, Thiago and Schade have earned another game together.

That leaves the midfield as the one change from the Chelsea starting XI, with Sangaré returning alongside Yarmoliuk and Janelt rather than being asked to reproduce what Brentford get from Damsgaard.

Kelleher; Kayode, Schuster, Ajer, Lewis-Potter; Sangaré, Yarmoliuk, Janelt; Anthony, Thiago, Schade.