Janelt to miss start of next season

Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt will miss the start of next season with a heel injury.

The 26-year-old German has undergone surgery, having struggled with the problem for some time, ruling him out for the remaining matches of the campaign.

And Bees boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Janelt will not be ready to return by August.

“Surgery was something we talked about and the timing was probably right,” Frank said.

“Vitaly has been carrying this issue basically all the season and has done well to manage it and help the team, pushing through the pain.

“It probably limited him a bit to top-perform, but he still put good performances out there and helped the team massively.

“But now is the right timing and hopefully we can get him back early next season. He is a key player and a key character for us.”

Brentford are away to Nottingham Forest on Thursday and still have a chance of securing a European spot.

“It’s tight and there are three clubs ahead of us right now – Fulham, Brighton and Bournemouth – so we need the perfect run-in, but why not?”