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Frank on Carvalho, being 'proactive' in the transfer window and Southampton

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at Southampton (15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

  • Mathias Jensen, Sepp van den Berg and Mark Flekken "came through well" in their returns from injury in Wednesday's loss to Arsenal and will all be available again for selection on Saturday.

  • However, Fabio Carvalho "has a minor groin injury" and will likely miss the visit to St Mary's. Frank had nothing extra to add on Brentford's longer-term absentees.

  • The Bees boss wants to take his side's first half performance against the Gunners into upcoming games: "Except for one moment where they equalised, we played the perfect half which I'm very pleased with. We pressed aggressively high [and] we defended very compact. We were very good on the ball [and] scored a fantastic goal. That was top."

  • On the challenge posed by the Saints: "I watched the two games under the new manager. They have changed a bit - they don't take so many risks in build up. There's a few tactical tweaks we need to be aware of. We need to bring our A-game and be unbelievably focused."

  • Frank believes more wins will come soon after just one in seven games: "We are halfway through the season and have 24 points which is a good foundation to stand on. The aim is to get more away from home but we need to look into performances. In the 19 games we have played, we had one bad 90 minutes. There have been spells but overall we have been good. If we keep those performances up, we will win games."

  • He believes the Bees will have their "eyes wide open" in the transfer window: "I expect us to be proactive as we always are, to be out there in the market. The injury situation is what it is - the medical staff are working very hard. It's not like we need some but let's see what is happening in the next three or four weeks if players are not turned around to be able to play."

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[BBC]