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TONEY STARK
Brentford’s plan to sell Ivan Toney complicated with club sweating on potentially serious injury to record £30m transfer
Toney is in danger of being left in limbo after offers dried up
BRENTFORD have been left sweating over Igor Thiago’s knee injury which could complicate plans to sell Ivan Toney.
Striker Thiago, 23, joined for £30million this month from Club Brugge with a view to being Toney’s replacement.
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But the record signing hurt his meniscus during the Bees’ 5-2 win over Wimbledon on Saturday, despite scoring twice.
Brazilian Thiago will have further scans next week to determine the extent of the damage.
Meniscus injuries can vary in severity with relatively minor ones leaving a player sidelined for four to eight weeks.
But a bad tear can be four to six months.
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Should scans reveal it to be the worst-case scenario, that could have an impact on Toney.
The Three Lions forward, 28, has less than a year left on his Bees contract and would like to leave to play at a higher-profile club.
Brentford were looking to cash in during this window rather than lose him for nothing in June.
But it would be a gamble if Thiago’s injury proves to be a significant one as that would leave Brentford without a natural No 9.
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Thiago notched 18 goals in 34 Jupiler Pro League outings last term - firing Brugge to the title.
He netted 15 in 32 for Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets in his first season in Europe.
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After losing his dad aged 13, Thiago carried fruit at a fair and worked as a bricklayer to make money.
He said: "When I was 13 years old, my father passed away.
"I started to work at the fair carrying fruit. I also worked as a bricklayer. I had several jobs when I was younger, before I got into professional football and got the opportunity to play abroad.
"It helped me as a man, and it helped me as a person. It helped me to appreciate the little and big things in life, because today I look at my life and see that I'm privileged with everything I have."
West Ham and Tottenham are believed to be among the clubs interested in signing Toney.
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