Benjamin Fredrick is expected to make his first competitive appearance for Brentford when they face Reading in the Carabao Cup tonight.
Brentford manager Keith Andrews confirmed the Nigeria defender is likely to feature after being left out of the club’s B-team match on Sunday.
“He hasn’t had a lot of football. We decided not to play him yesterday (Sunday) in the B team game to make sure he was in the right place to be available today,” Andrews said at his pre-match press conference.
“I anticipate he’ll be involved.”
Fredrick, 21, joined Brentford on loan from Simoiben Football Academy in August 2023. The Premier League club completed a permanent move for him in April 2024.
He was first named in Brentford’s senior matchday squad in January 2024, when he was an unused substitute for their FA Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The defender then spent the 2025/26 season on loan with Belgian club Dender EH as he continued his development.
That campaign was ended prematurely after Fredrick suffered an injury while representing Nigeria on international duty in November. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season and meant he missed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles finished third.
Having completed his recovery, Fredrick is now in contention to make his long-awaited competitive debut for Brentford against Reading.