The Blues face Bees for the second time in a week tonight, this time Brentford at Griffin Park (KO 7.45pm). Hermann Hreidarsson and Marcus Bent return to their old club for the first time since leavin in 1999 and 1998 respectively.

Last time Town visited Griffin Park Hreidarsson was on the home side as the
Bees lost 2-0 to Town in the 1998/99 Worthington Cup, goals from David Johnson and a curled freekick from Jamie Clapham winning the day.

The Icelander had been brought to the London club from Crystal Palace by his friend Ron Noades for a record Third Division transfer fee of £750,000. The central defender even spent time living with Noades when he first came over to England when both were at Palace.

Bent made his league debut for Brentford in 1996 before joining Crystal Palace in 1998 for £150,000, teaming up with Hreidarsson.

Town also include youngster Matt Richards in their squad after he impressed the management at Barnet on Monday night. The 17-year-old looked one of of the hottest prospects in the reserves last season and has also done well in the second string's pre-season fixtures.

Hermann's Icelandic friend Ivar Ingimarsson has now left Griffin Park and joined Wolves while ex-Blues central defender David Theobald has also departed, joining Swansea over the summer.

Striker Pablo Couñago will be in good spirits after scoring twice at Barnet on Monday. He told the club site: "It was good for my confidence to score two goals and I was very pleased, especially with the second one.

"Now I need to push on from here and start scoring goals in the League games because that is where it counts. I am confident I can do that."

Town still have a number of players on the sidelines with injury: Chris Makin (hamstring), Alun Armstrong (aggravated back at Bristol City), Mark Venus (calf), Jermaine Wright (thigh), Thomas Gaardsøe (thigh) and Ulrich Le Pen (foot).

Directions to Griffin Park: A12, M25, exit M25 at junction 15 (signed M4, Heathrow Terminals) on to the M4 eastbound. Exit M4 at junction 2 (signed A4, North and South Circular A406 (A205) and Chiswick A315), onto slip road for A4, underneath and parallel to M4. Take fourth exit at Chiswick Roundabout (signed South Circular A205, A316, M3) onto Chiswick High Road/Kew Bridge Road. Keep in lane for the A315 and go straight on (signed Hounslow, Brentford A315) onto The Plough pub. Into Ealing Road at lights which runs past Griffin Park.

Town squad: Marshall, Pullen, Wilnis, Clapham, McGreal, Hreidarsson, Brown, T Miller, Holland, Magilton, J Miller, Reuser, George, Stewart, D Bent, M Bent, Couñago, Richards and Naylor.

Photo: Action Images

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