'Going in the right direction' - Brentford's Frank says Eriksen is nearing debut

Christian Eriksen's Brentford debut will have to wait beyond this weekend, admits coach Thomas Frank, but the Bees boss says that the Denmark international is very much "going in the right direction".

The former Tottenham and Inter playmaker, who joined the Premier League outfit on a short-term deal in January, has not played a professional game since suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 last year.

While Eriksen has subsequently embarked on an impressive road to recovery, his new coach admits that he is not quite ready to step back onto the field against Arsenal on Saturday - but added that his skills remain undimmed as he continues to near a return.

“It is a delicate balance,” Frank told his pre-match press conference. “We want him out there, but just like every other player who has been out for seven or eight months, they need quite a few games in a row to get up to their normal level.

“I need to put him on the pitch and then then we will take it from there. He looks good in training, like he is still a pretty good footballer, with that unbelievable quality in his vision, passing range, finishing and deliveries.

“Now it is that extra sharpness and incisive actions that he needs to repeat more and more often – but it is going the right direction.”

Though Eriksen's capture by Brentford may prove less eye-catching when considering the large Danish contingent that forms part of the Bees squad - all in all, they have seven players, including several members who made the Euro 2020 semi-finals - the playmaker remains their biggest name by some distance.

Yet Frank has been quick to hail his back-to-basics humility as a positive impact on the rest of his team-mates, adding: “I knew it before, but I have just got it confirmed