Brentford’s Premier League trip to Arsenal this Saturday could be their last match before Christian Eriksen makes his club debut.

The Danish midfielder signed for the Bees in January and has not played competitively since suffering a cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 group match with Finland last June.

And manager Thomas Frank hopes Eriksen will be ready for the subsequent fixture against Newcastle United.

Frank said: “This Arsenal game is just one step too early. We have another good opponent for a friendly game on Monday. 

“We are aiming for the Newcastle game.

“It is a delicate balance. We want him out there, but just like every other player who has been out for seven or eight months, they need quite a few games in a row to get up to their normal level.”

The 30-year-old returned to action in a friendly against a Southend United XI last Monday and although it is still early days Frank is thrilled with his progress.

He added: “He looks good in training and is still a pretty good footballer, with that unbelievable quality in his vision, passing range, finishing and deliveries.

“Another big thing is that he is a top person. He fits perfectly in the culture, even though he is by far our biggest star player.”

Eriksen’s debut cannot come soon enough for a Brentford team in terrible form.

Last weekend’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace ended a run of five consecutive league defeats, although the Bees have still not won since January 8.

They have slipped to 14th, seven points above the drop zone, and face relegation-threatened Newcastle, Norwich and Burnley in the three fixtures following the Arsenal game.

But manager Frank believes his side deserve more points.

He said: "Performances don’t lie, results can lie. I would have been much more worried if the performances had been bad.

“It is much more difficult to twist that narrative as the players feel it themselves."

Brentford memorably beat Arsenal 2-0 at home in the first Premier League match last August, though the boss is wary of a backlash at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have recovered from a poor start to rise to sixth in the table and now have eyes on a Champions League place.

Frank added: “Arsenal want to do everything they can to prove it was a slip against us.

“Their performances look more consistent and their culture looks stronger. They are playing their younger, top talents, who are growing.”

Besides Eriksen, Brentford have very few injury concerns, though striker Ivan Toney will be assessed on Saturday morning after missing the last two games with a calf issue.