Brentford host Chelsea at the Gtech Community Stadium on Friday night, with Keith Andrews facing a close decision between Jaidon Anthony and Dango Ouattara on the right side of his attack.
Anthony started last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth before playing only the final 13 minutes of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win at Reading. Ouattara had the opposite workload, starting in midweek and setting up both of Brentford's goals before being replaced after 77 minutes.
There is a case for either of the wingers against Chelsea. Ouattara has already started two of the Bees' four Premier League games and his performance at Reading did his chances no harm, but Anthony was brought into the side at Bournemouth and has had the lighter week. On that basis, he gets the nod here.
The other two places in attack look more straightforward. Kevin Schade scored both goals on the south coast and was then rested completely at Reading, while Igor Thiago was also kept on the bench until the final 13 minutes of the cup tie. Andrews has continued to back Igor Thiago despite the striker still waiting for his first Premier League goal of the season, pointing to the wider contribution of a player who scored 25 times in all competitions last term. Despite the lack of goals, the Brazilian will likely start, with Callum Wilson still waiting in the wings.
Midfield is where Tuesday’s selection was particularly revealing. Vitaly Janelt was given the night off completely, while Yehor Yarmolyuk played only the second half after replacing Mamadou Sangaré at the interval. Sangaré had started alongside Janelt and Yarmolyuk at Bournemouth, and there is little reason to move away from that trio against Chelsea with Mathias Jensen still unavailable.
Mikkel Damsgaard remains an option and completed the Reading game, but the way Andrews distributed the minutes makes a return to the midfield used at Bournemouth the more likely choice.
In defence, Andrews has confirmed that Nathan Collins and Sepp van den Berg remain sidelined, leaving Jannik Schuster in line for another Premier League start alongside Kristoffer Ajer. Schuster made his first league start at Bournemouth and was only needed for the final half-hour at Reading, while Ajer was one of just three players retained in the starting XI for the cup game.
Ajer’s workload is worth noting, having completed both games, but the absence of Collins and Van den Berg limits the alternatives available to Andrews. Benjamin Fredrick returned to the squad at Reading but did not get on the pitch.
Right-back is another position where Andrews has a decision to make. Aaron Hickey started at Bournemouth and was limited to a late appearance at Reading, while Michael Kayode played the majority of Tuesday’s cup tie.
The difference in minutes might point towards Hickey, but that does not necessarily make him the more likely starter. Kayode has continued to push for Premier League minutes and gets the nod here against Chelsea, his strength and speed two necessary attributes against a Chelsea attack that has proved to be in goalscoring form this season.
Keane Lewis-Potter is expected to continue on the opposite side of the defence despite starting both Bournemouth and Reading.
Caoimhín Kelleher will also return after Ellery Balcombe played the full 90 minutes against Ipswich.
Andrews has spoken about the fine margins between players in this squad, and the Anthony-Ouattara decision probably illustrates that better than any other position. Anthony’s fresher legs just tip the prediction in his favour, but Ouattara’s two assists at Reading have given the Brentford head coach plenty to consider.
Brentford predicted XI vs Chelsea (4-3-3): Kelleher; Hickey, Ajer, Schuster, Lewis-Potter; Sangaré, Janelt, Yarmolyuk; Anthony, Thiago, Schade.
