Aaron Hickey and Igor Thiago set to return to Brighton first team

2025-04-19 01:35

Brentford are set to host Brighton in their 33rd Premier League match, with manager Thomas Frank revealing defender Alan Hickey and striker Igor Thiago are set to return.

The 22-year-old Hickey suffered a serious injury in the match against Chelsea in October 2023. Ten months after the injury, he had relapses during the rehabilitation process, causing Hickey to miss most of the games in the 2024-25 season.

Thiago joined Brentford from Bruges last year and has only played four games for the team so far, with the most recent appearance being against Newcastle United in December last year. Since then, Thiago has been absent until now.

At the pre-match press conference, the reporter asked about the lineup, and Frank replied: "The players who played against Arsenal can still play this week. This Monday, Rico, Matias and Gustavo all got valuable playing time."

“Also, Igor Thiago is getting closer to returning, as is Aaron Hickey, so everything looks to be moving in a positive direction.”

Brentford currently has 43 points in the Premier League, 11 points behind Chelsea in sixth place. Despite this, Frank still believes that the team has a chance to qualify for European competitions. Frank said: "We still have a lot of goals to strive for."

"The immediate goal is to get as high as possible in the league, and we still have a lot of opportunities. If we can get into the top ten, it will be a great achievement for the club. If we still have ambitions, we must win against Brighton."

As the season enters its final sprint, Brentford has gradually recovered after a period of injury problems. It is hoped that the recovery of the main players will add valuable chips to Brentford in the fiercely competitive Premier League.