Brentford confirm huge injury blow which could affect Ivan Toney's future

Thiago officially became a Brentford player earlier this month after Brentford had reached an agreement with Club Brugge in February.

Brentford have paid a reported £30m fee to prise Thiago away from the Belgian side, where he scored 29 goals in 55 competitive appearances.

The 23-year-old made a goalscoring start to his Brentford career, netting a brace in Saturday's 5-2 win over AFC Wimbledon in a pre-season friendly.

Brentford confirm Thiago injury blow

However, Brentford released a statement prior to Thursday's friendly against Benfica to reveal that Thiago sustained a meniscus injury in the win against Wimbledon.

Brentford confirmed that Thiago will undergo further scans next weeks to establish the full extent of the injury.

The scan will determine whether Brentford's club-record signing will need surgery and how long he could be out of action.

In Thiago's absence, Brentford went on to play out a 1-1 draw against Benfica, as Bryan Mbeumo saw his opener cancelled out by Vangelis Pavlidis.

How could Thiago's injury affect Toney?

Thiago has seemingly been signed as a replacement for Toney, who continues to be linked with a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

The current transfer window represents Brentford's final chance to command a respectable fee for the 28-year-old, with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Toney has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, but it appears that Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are leading the race for his signature.

However, the Bees may be reluctant to part ways with the England international if Thiago is ruled out for an extended period.

If Brentford were left without Toney and Thiago, Thomas Frank would have to employ one of Yoane Wissa, Kevin Schade or Mbeumo as the main centre-forward.