Brentford coach Thomas Frank has revealed the reason new signing Frank Onyeka played for only 30 minutes in their pre-season friendly against Manchester United on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old sealed a transfer to the promoted side from FC Midtjylland and he was handed his debut on Wednesday, as the Bees twice came from behind to draw 2-2 against the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
The Nigerian forward was introduced in the 61st minute as a replacement for Max Haygarth and he came close to finding the back of the net in the 78th minute after combining well with Ethan Pinnock, but his effort went inches wide.
Brentford boss Frank has said his decision to give Onyeka 30 minutes was prompted by the fact the player has not enjoyed enough pre-season training.
“Brilliant, fantastic to see Frank getting some minutes,” Frank told the club’s TV.
“There’s a reason why we only played him 30 minutes because we wanted to build him, he got a little bit you know fragmented start because of pre-season in Midtjylland, and then quarantine and the transfer and all that.
“So we need to build him to get to the right fitness level but very nice to see him get thirty minutes.”
In a recent interview, Frank said the addition of Onyeka will help the team to do well in the Premier League
"We think he is a strong addition to the squad, and we are looking forward to working with him. He is a very dynamic player," Frank told the same portal.
"He has come from the Danish league and was one of the best midfield players in that league, we think he has the potential to develop further.
"All the coaches here are looking forward to working with Frank and pushing him to a higher level.”
Brentford, who earned promotion after beating Swansea City 2-0 in the EFL Championship play-off final in May, will play their league opener at home against Arsenal on August 13.
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