Brentford without suspended Josh Dasilva for Middlesbrough clash

Posted Friday, January 08, 2021 by PA

Brentford midfielder Josh Dasilva will miss Saturday’s FA Cup third round clash with Sky Bet Championship counterparts Middlesbrough through suspension.

Dasilva begins a three-game ban following his red card for a challenge on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg during Tuesday night’s 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Tottenham.

Defender Pontus Jansson missed the Spurs game as a result of what head coach Thomas Frank described as “a minor injury” with Mads Bech Sorensen taking his place, and he will be assessed.

Christian Norgaard continues his recovery from an ankle problem, while fellow midfielder Shandon Baptiste is a long-term absentee after undergoing knee surgery.

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock may have to turn to his Under-23s after his squad was hit by a coronavirus outbreak.

A second round of testing, which included younger players, was carried out on Thursday morning following a series of positive results for both players and staff, and Warnock, who contracted the virus himself last year, is awaiting the outcome.

In addition to those unnamed players self-isolating, he will be without hamstring victims Jonny Howson and Ashley Fletcher as well as Grant Hall, who is out with a thigh injury.

In better news for Boro, striker Duncan Watmore signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract on Thursday after scoring five times in eight appearances during an initial short-term deal.