Bees midfielder playmaker Gary Smith will not be rushed back into action according to boss Andy Scott, after the former MK Don suffered another setback this week.

The 24-year-old is yet to make an appearance this season and had the latest of two injections in his foot on Monday in a bid to solve a niggling ankle problem.

Brentford have made a flying start to the campaign, which sees them occupying a League Two play-off spot on the back of a six match unbeaten run in his absence.

Left winger Sam Wood has made a full recovery from a similar problem and is back in contention for a starting slot against Lincoln City this week.

But Scott, who has praised the contibution of deputy Craig Pead, admits he has no idea how long it is likely to be until fans see Smith in a Bees shirt this season.

“It is not a quick fix for him. He has been out such a long time now, I’ve no idea when he will be back because he has missed such a lot of training,” he said.

“It is the second injection he has had and hopefully this will work a bit better than the last. He could be fit to train next week, but we are not going to rush him back.

“We have to assess how the rehab goes and see how much his fitness levels have been affected, then we will take it from there.”

Pead, who had appeared on his way out of Griffin Park during the summer, has become a permanent fixture in midfield with Smith sidelined - and impressed again against Wycombe Wanderers.

“We wanted to change things during the game on Saturday, but everyone was playing well. To be honest, that has been the case all season,” he added.

“Craig has shown a great attitude since his move fell through during the summer. The way he performed during pre-season and the way he is playing in midfield now is a credit to him.”