The Bees need the expensive summer signing to start producing with relegation a real danger
The possibility of Ben Mee suffering a season-ending injury increases the pressure on Nathan Collins to perform well in the latter half of his debut campaign at Brentford.
Following his £23 million transfer from Wolves in July, Collins has had difficulty adjusting.
The 22-year-old centre back is taking longer than anticipated to establish himself as the “composed and calm defender” manager Thomas Frank thought he was signing eight months ago, despite the fact that that deal made him Brentford’s record signing at the time.
Mee sustained a foot injury in the 61st minute of Monday night’s 4-2 loss against West Ham. According to Standard Sport, further examinations indicate that Mee may miss the entire season.
Frank will rely on Collins because fellow centre back Ethan Pinnock won’t be returning until after the international break owing to a foot issue of his own.
Collins is now anticipated to start tomorrow’s match against Chelsea, most likely with Kristoffer Ajer and Zanka in a makeshift back three.
Before finalising the deal in the summer, the Bees had been following Collins’s exploits at Wolves for some time. Frank had expressed admiration for Collins’s aerial skills, “composure and build-up play.”
However, only Wes Foderingham of Sheffield United, the custodian, has committed more mistakes this season than Collins’s four single mistakes that have resulted in Premier League goals.
Two of those were in a terrifying performance in a 4-1 home loss against his old team, Wolves, back in December. Frank recognised the irony of the situation and declared that Collins would never play worse.
Nevertheless, Collins is still regarded as a top defender, and at 22, time is on his side.
With five games remaining, Brentford faces Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Brighton, and Aston Villa. They are currently just five points above the relegation zone.
After their latest blow in an unprecedented season for injuries, the Bees are relying on Collins to finally step up and make them hard to score against.
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