Ivan Toney has been left out of Brentford s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace due to ongoing transfer speculation surrounding the striker, Bees boss Thomas Frank confirmed.
The England forward is linked with a move away from the Brentford Community Stadium, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all reportedly interested, as are Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
Frank initially stated Toney, who missed the first half of last season through suspension, would be available for Brentford s first game of this campaign during his pre-match press conference.
However, the Dane believes the Bees have demonstrated their ability to cope without his services.
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There s a lot of things going on with Ivan, there s some transfer interest. Because of all that, we decided not to involve him in the squad, Frank told Sky Sports.
It s the classic one I couldn t give too much the day before. He s been a fantastic player for us, but we showed last year, especially, that we can deal without him.
When asked if Toney had played his final game in a Brentford shirt, the head coach added: Who knows? There s interest, but there s nothing close.
Meanwhile, Marc Guehi was named in Palace s starting line-up, despite the defender being the subject of several bids from Newcastle United.
