Brentford manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo will be sidelined for three months and will miss the Africa Cup of Nations after undergoing ankle surgery. The Cameroon international, who had been the club's top scorer with seven goals and three assists in the league this season, injured his ankle in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month.
Frank expressed confidence in Mbeumo's recovery, stating: 'Bryan is a positive guy. It's tough to take, but he will come back stronger. He has a very good mindset.' The Africa Cup of Nations begins on January 13, with Cameroon in Group C alongside Senegal, Guinea, and Gambia.
Brentford have dropped to 11th in the league after a run of one win and four defeats in their last five games. The club is also dealing with injuries to Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Aaron Hickey, and Kristoffer Ajer. Frank indicated that the club would look for reinforcements in the January transfer window, but emphasised a cautious approach: 'We need to look at it in January, but we never rush into things. We try to be clever and take calm and sensible decisions. We will not take a player if we don't think it's for the longer term. Maybe this time a loan, but it depends on how things go over the next three or four weeks.'
