Brentford signed off for the international break on the crest of a wave, sitting tenth in the table and coming off the back of their most memorable league victory ever – a 2-1 win over Premier League champions Manchester City.
An Ivan Toney brace at the Etihad appeared the perfect response to being overlooked by Gareth Southgate for England’s 26-man World Cup squad while subsequently underlining just how irreplaceable the forward is to the Bees.
However, just days later Toney was charged by the FA over 232 alleged breaches of betting rules with a potential hefty ban looming large over the player.
It leaves Brentford in limbo heading into next month’s January transfer window – whether to dip into the market for a potential replacement or ride out the betting storm and hope for the best.
With only Mohamed Salah (29), Harry Kane (28) and Son Heung-min (26) scoring more than Toney’s 22 Premier League goals since the start of last season and Brentford already short on attacking options, the latter may be too big a gamble to take.
Similarly, prior to the win at Manchester City, Thomas Frank’s side were on a five game winless streak which included a frustrating draw against strugglers Nottingham Forest and a shock League Cup exit at home to bottom of League Two Gillingham.
With the potential absence of Toney, the season could easily turn from one of a successful second top-flight campaign to staring down the barrel of a relegation dogfight.
While both Yoane Wissa and summer signing Mikkel Damsgaard can play upfront, neither are the out-and-out striker Brentford need should there be a ban for Toney and a shortlist will undoubtedly be drawn up of potential targets.
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Someone who can hit the ground running and fit into the club’s long-term recruitment strategy of capturing up-and-coming talent at reasonable prices may be difficult so some out-of-the-box thinking along the lines of Christian Eriksen’s arrival in TW8 last January may be necessary.
Elsewhere, last summer’s record signing Keane Lewis-Potter has started his Brentford career positively but is expected to kick-on in the second part of the campaign with his ability to play across the front three.
Even so, since the departure of the aforementioned Eriksen, the club have lacked a creative spark in midfield with the onus being on Mathias Jensen’s shoulders to deliver.
While there are plenty of potential recruitment permutations this time around, it was abundantly clear last January that Brentford needed a right wing-back to provide a much-needed defensive balance to the side.
Joining from Serie A side Bologna in the summer, Aaron Hickey filled that void excellently before being sidelined with an ankle injury that has ruled him out until after the World Cup.
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Add to that injuries to Pontus Jansson and Kristoffer Ajer out until February, defensive cover could be another area Brentford look to strengthen with a short-term deal for someone with Premier League nous the best option.
What has been Brentford’s strength in the past is their resilience and ability to adapt and regardless of Ivan Toney’s situation or other injuries and suspensions, there is a bounce-backability and ingenuity at the club which should ensure they overcome any situation.