Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has confirmed midfielder Vitaly Janelt will be out for another “good few weeks.”
The 27-year-old picked up a metatarsal injury against Brighton and missed the next four Premier League games before the international break – and is expected to miss at least the next few.
“I don’t know exactly how many weeks. I think it’s quite a delicate one in terms of putting an exact time frame on that. But he’ll be another good few weeks away, I would imagine,” Andrews tells the Hounslow Herald.
It’s a huge blow for the Bees, who will be without their midfield cog for their next two home games against Everton and Fulham; two pivotal games for the European race.
Janelt’s best form this term coincided with Brentford’s best run, including a six-game unbeaten streak towards the end of 2025, which was no coincidence.
Since the German’s injury, Brentford are unbeaten in the last four, but have drawn their last three league games, a run that has included unconvincing performances. The solitary win at Burnley descended into chaos, and the Bees narrowly escaped with a 4-3 win. Against Wolves, they let a two-goal lead slip, as the midfield battle was lost in the second half.
The Bees miss Janelt’s assurance and ability to knit the midfield together. Before the international break. Andrews even admitted they miss him when he’s not there.
Andrews was more optimistic about Aaron Hickey, who has also missed the last four games. “Aaron’s closer than Vitaly, for sure,” he says. “Aaron’s probably not going to make it tomorrow (against Everton), but he isn’t too far away. He’s been training with the group this week.”
With fellow left-back Rico Henry expected to be out for a long time, injuries have come at a bad time for Brentford as they sit seventh in the league and push for a first-ever European qualification.
In that sense, the three-week international break came at a good time, giving the squad a “little bit of a breather.”
“When you think about it, from the November international break up until literally a couple of weeks ago, it’s been pretty frenetic, challenging on as much as we can in the league, game to game, both Cups we took really, really seriously.
“So, yeah, I think for some players, for us, it was a good time to just have that little bit of a recharge.”
The Irishman said there were no fresh injuries to report on from the break.