Eriksen set to make Brentford debut against Newcastle eight months after cardiac arrest
Brentford, in 14th place, have not won in their last seven Premier League games.
Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen will return to football on Saturday when he makes his debut for Brentford against Newcastle United.
The Brentford manager Thomas Frank confirmed that the 30-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan midfielder will be involved in a competitive game for the first time since he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during a Euro 2020 match against Finland last summer.
The Denmark international has impressed in a couple of appearances in behind-closed-doors games since arriving on a free transfer until the end of the season.
“Christian will be in the squad and he will get on the pitch tomorrow,” Frank said. “It will be amazing. It is a big day for all of us but especially Christian and his family when he walks out on to the pitch.
“For me and for everyone involved in football who saw what happened, it’s another one of those reminders that we are privileged to do what we do and be alive and we need to appreciate every day and every moment, which can be difficult in life.
“There is no doubt he is by far the player with the biggest CV who is at Brentford. His quality in training has been remarkable. He is confident in what he is capable of and he is very humble. He is a normal guy who loves to play football.
“He needs to get that intuitive feeling of decision-making at the highest level. I am convinced he will do well tomorrow, but probably it will take three or four games before we see he can play ten out of ten. Tomorrow he will play on pure energy and enthusiasm.”
Brentford, in 14th place, have not won in their last seven Premier League games.
Defeat would mean that Newcastle would move above them and Frank added: “They are different under Eddie Howe. They have progressed a lot. They look like a very difficult team to beat. They have pace and power all over the pitch.
“We have to be brave, aggressive and cool in every aspect of the game. I am convinced it will turn around with wins and goals as we go forward.”
Newcastle have made up ten points on Brentford in the last five weeks and Howe, who was appointed manager in November, said: “I am greedy because my expectations of my team and myself are very high. That will always be my message to the players, we go into every game trying to win it, being very positive in our approach. The objective is to stay in the league and that will remain the case.”
