Hofmann ‘needs to up his level’ – Smith

Brentford striker Philipp Hofmann is still not ready to make an impact in the Championship, according to boss Dean Smith.

Hofmann, a former Germany Under-21 international signed from Kaiserslautern, has made only five league starts since he joined the Bees in 2015.

The 23-year-old has appeared off the bench three times this season and Smith said: “He’s been training well. He’s played in a couple of friendlies and scored.

“But he knows that he needs to up his level at Championship level. It’s something we have spoken about.

“He needs to be more athletic. He needs to be stronger physically than he is for his height.

“But he will get better because, we have to remember, he is still a young lad. He’ll get better by working hard in training every day.”