Max Verstappen required just one lap to put his Red Bull on pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The triple world champion saw off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as a huge storm brought a premature end to qualifying in Interlagos.

Verstappen finished three tenths clear of Leclerc as he chases his 17th win of a remarkable season, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso third and fourth respectively for Aston Martin.

Lewis Hamilton took fifth, one place ahead of George Russell in the other Mercedes, with Lando Norris, who waited too long in the pit lane as the downpour approached, finishing a disappointing seventh.

Verstappen said the Red Bull machine – which has this year carried him to a third world title and a record 16 victories from the 19 rounds so far – was “bouncing around like a kangaroo” in the opening phase of qualifying.

But the Dutchman delivered at the pivotal moment after he wasted no time in putting in a lap with Q3 predicted to be hit by a huge storm.

“We did not know when the weather would hit but this is insane,” said Verstappen

“It seems that it will be very close in the race. You can see that in qualifying and I expect the same on Sunday.”

Leclerc said: “In my whole career I have never experienced anything like that.

“From turn four there was no rain but the car was very difficult to drive with no grip and I was thinking about coming in at the end of the lap, but we finished second which was a good surprise.”

Verstappen was one of the first on track but Norris, who had looked to be a contender – indeed he was the fastest man in Q2 – elected to stay in his garage.

As the bad weather arrived, Norris could not get his McLaren up to speed and he finished 1.2sec back while his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was one of the last to join the circuit, span off at the final corner.

Sergio Perez was following Piastri and he had to back out, leaving him only ninth.

Moments later, the running was abandoned as heavy rain and thunder and lightning arrived underneath black skies.

Hamilton vowed not to leave Interlagos empty-handed after team-mate Russell took Mercedes’ sole victory of the season here a year ago.

However, the British driver, who is approaching two years without a win, faces an uphill task to end his losing streak after he finished seven tenths back.

Russell’s chances of following up his maiden win with another triumph on Brazilian soil also suffered a setback.

Russell, who is under investigation for impeding Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in the pit lane in Q1, was a tenth behind Hamilton. Hamilton now holds an 11-9 qualifying record over his younger team-mate.

Daniel Ricciardo put his name in the frame to bump Perez out of Red Bull next year following a display in Mexico hailed as “remarkable” by Christian Horner.

But after he qualified fourth in Mexico City, before finishing seventh, Ricciardo hit a stumbling block at Interlagos when he fell at the first hurdle.

The 34-year-old Australian will line up from only 17th place for Sunday’s race, one spot behind AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

The Football Association is investigating whether Sandro Tonali breached betting rules after he joined Newcastle.

The 23-year-old Italy midfielder, who moved to the Magpies from AC Milan for £55million over the summer, has been suspended for 10 months by the Italian Football Federation.

Tonali was alleged to have placed bets on games involving former clubs Brescia and Milan during his spells with them.

The ban was subsequently ratified by FIFA after Tonali agreed a plea bargain as part of an investigation into illegal betting activity.

The PA news agency understands the FA is now investigating whether he was involved in gambling on football following his move to England.

Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth admits the probe into Tonali has been “a whirlwind” and a “massive shock”.

Tonali found himself at the centre of the probe during last month’s international break.

“It was a massive shock, a massive surprise. Dealing with it was new to all of us. It came from nowhere,” said Ashworth.

“We first became aware of it when was there a potential allegation on social media. I spoke with his representatives and it just happened really quickly.

“Our first thought was to protect our player, he is part of our family, and to give him the help and support he needed. We wanted to understand exactly what had happened and work transparently with the authorities.

“Sandro wanted to do that from the off as well. It was a bit of a whirlwind really. We got to where we were on Friday where the ban had been signed off and agreed with the Italian federation, FIFA and our own Football Association.”

The ban means Tonali will not be eligible to return to competitive action until August 27, 2024 and Ashworth knows he will be a big miss to the squad.

“Like any player we will miss him of course, he is a top player and a big signing. To contextualise it, it could have been an ACL,” Ashworth said.

“These things happen in football, but obviously when it happens in this context it’s not something you expect. For me, from the minute it happened, you look at yourself.

“What could we have done better? What could I have done better? What are the lessons learned from this? Could we have known? Should we have known? You look at your processes.

“I’ve been doing this for 16 years and nothing like this has happened before. We pride ourselves on due diligence and getting the right characters.

“You have all seen the culture and cohesion in the group is extremely strong, and that’s not by chance.

“We spend an immense amount of time looking at the character as well as the athlete. We have and will continue to review what we have done in the past and will do going forward.”

In addition to his ban, Tonali was fined 20,000 euros and will undergo eight months of therapy as well as carrying out a series of public appearances.

Meanwhile, manager Eddie Howe confirmed the player is still training with the club.

In his Friday press conference, Howe said: “He is training with us and he’s started that lonely journey – I say lonely, he’s around his team-mates but we’re playing so many games at the moment that a lot of his sessions will be individual or small numbers.

“He’s started that journey into the 10 months so it’s going to be a real mental test for him to try and come through that period and become a better player, which is definitely our objective as coaches to try and help him.

“It’s going to be difficult for him for sure.”

Ashworth echoed Howe’s sentiments, adding: “Our first port of call is to look after and support him. It’s probably more difficult for him than anyone else.

“We have a programme to support him and thankfully he’s able to train with the team, which is great for his mental well-being.

“We’re putting together a programme of what he can and can’t do over the coming months to get him back flying in August.”

Deshaun Watson will be back at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Friday that Watson would return after taking all the first-team reps in practice.

It will be Watson's first start since Week 7, when he was knocked out after taking a big hit in the first quarter of Cleveland's 39-38 victory at the Indianapolis Colts. He was cleared of a concussion but hurt his ailing right shoulder.

Backup quarterback P.J. Walker got the start in last Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, already the third game of the season Watson missed.

Watson initially hurt his throwing shoulder in the Browns' 27-3 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3. He then warmed up prior to the Browns' Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, but was ultimately ruled out.

The three-time Pro Bowler said on Thursday that he tried to come back too soon, and Stefanski said on Friday that Watson is ready to play.

Watson has thrown for 683 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions for the 4-3 Browns, who are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for third place in the AFC North.

Nick Montgomery has challenged Hibernian to take a big step towards more cup glory by eliminating Aberdeen in Saturday’s Viaplay Cup semi-final.

The Hibees last won a trophy in 2016 when they claimed the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years, while they last got their hands on the League Cup in 2007.

Current left-back Lewis Stevenson, 35, was involved in both of those triumphs while club captain Paul Hanlon, 33, played in the most recent one.

Both players are in contention to start against the Dons this weekend as the Hibees bid to set up a final showdown with city rivals Hearts or Rangers.

“There’s a lot of history at the club,” said Montgomery. “The past is the past but there are some great memories there.

“Now there is an opportunity for some of the players who have been there before to try and get to that moment again and for some of the players who have never been there to try and get to that moment.

“Any time you get to a cup final, it’s something to look back on in your career. Right now it’s 90 minutes plus extra time or whatever it is, and we’ll give everything we’ve got to try and make sure we get to the final.”

Montgomery, who was appointed Hibs boss in September, is looking forward to leading his team to Hampden less than two months after his first trip to the national stadium.

“I’ve never played or managed there,” he said. “The first time I visited was the Scotland v England game when I first arrived here in Scotland.

“I’m really looking forward to leading the team out tomorrow. It’s a special occasion at a special stadium and I’m looking forward to seeing plenty of our fans there in full voice.”

Hibs have drawn five of their seven league matches under Montgomery, with one win and one defeat.

“We’ve had a couple of draws that I feel we played well enough to win in and we’ve let a two-goal lead slip twice so it’s something we have to fix because getting into the lead is not easy,” he said.

“We have to be more resilient in terms of holding on to those leads. I think we’ve played some good football but there’s plenty improvement to make, especially in terms of concentration.

“You have to concentrate for the full game, especially defensively, like we did against Celtic (when drawing 0-0 last weekend). We have to make sure we do that every game because we know we’ve got goals in the team.

“For me, it’s been eight weeks of learning about the team, the players, the individuals and myself, and I think we’re close to being a good team. What we have to do now is turn those draws into wins but that’s all out the window this weekend because there can’t be a draw.”

Erik ten Hag goes into Saturday lunchtime’s Premier League trip to Fulham with pressure mounting on his position having presided over Manchester United’s worst start to a season in decades.

Here, the PA news agency looks at their statistics so far.

Theatre of screams

United have lost eight of their first 15 games, including five out of 10 at home as Old Trafford’s former ‘fortress’ status has eroded.

Only once before in their history, way back in 1930-31, have United lost five of their first 10 home games in all competitions.

Manchester City, in the Premier League, and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup have inflicted back-to-back three-goal home defeats – the first time United have suffered that fate since 1962.

Their form is in stark contrast to last season, when Ten Hag’s side only lost two home games in total – to Brighton in the league and Real Sociedad in the Europa League.

The one slightly more encouraging omen is that both of those came before the middle of September, with Ten Hag able to then turn the ship around with a 32-game unbeaten home run to the end of the season which included 13 straight wins from October 19 to February 4.

Premier League low point

United’s record from their opening 10 league games also shows an even split of five wins and five losses, with home advantage making no difference – they have won three and lost three at home, along with two and two away.

That leaves their average points per game at 1.5, lower than it has been for any full Premier League season – they are on track for 57 points at that rate, one fewer than their lowest Premier League total when they finished sixth in 2021-22.

Meanwhile, there are five occasions when they have lost fewer than their current five games over an entire Premier League season – including three each in back-to-back years in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, as well as four in a 42-game season in 1993-94. The others came in 2008-09 and 2010-11, both with four losses, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams winning the league on all five occasions.

Their worst goal difference at any stage of a Premier League season is minus-six, after they lost 6-1 to Tottenham in their third game of the 2020-21 season – though Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side did at least recover to finish second, albeit 12 points behind Manchester City. They are currently only one goal better off, meaning defeat to Fulham would see them at least match that low point.

Ten Hag’s philosophy

In a clip from his press conference ahead of the Fulham game, share on United’s X, formerly known as Twitter, account, Ten Hag said: “I came here with my philosophy based on possession, but also to combine it with the DNA of Manchester United and with the competences and characters of the players. Last season we have seen what that was, we played very good football.

“This season the philosophy is not different, only I want to emphasise more on going direct. They thought I want to play long balls but I want to play from the back, we want to press from different blocks and then go direct because we have the players who are very good at it.”

They have averaged 53.2 per cent of possession in Premier League games and 48 per cent in the Champions League, with an overall average of 53.8 per cent thanks to a pair of ball-dominant League Cup outings as they even had 62 per cent of the ball in the hammering against Newcastle.

Simone Inzaghi is braced for Inter Milan to “suffer” as the Serie A leaders travel to Bergamo on Saturday to face an Atalanta side who have not conceded a goal at home this season.

Inter are in front of Juventus by two points ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, with the Nerazzurri winning all four league matches on the road in this campaign without letting in one goal.

However, the visit to Atalanta represents their stiffest away fixture so far and Inter head coach Inzaghi accepts his side will not have everything their own way at the Gewiss Stadium.

“The facts don’t lie,” Inzaghi told Inter TV. “These are two physical teams with a lot of weapons. It’ll be a great game at a tough ground.

“Without a doubt, we’ll need to be really alert again; we’ve defended well in recent weeks. The boys will be tested and we’ll need to suffer as a unit at times because we know our opponents well.

“Atalanta haven’t conceded many, and none at all at home. They’re playing really well in defence but they’ve always been a team that concedes very little. We’ll need to do well in this regard.”

Marcus Thuram has made an impression since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer and took his tally for the season to four goals in 10 matches with the winner against Roma last weekend.

Inzaghi has been heartened at how quickly Thuram has found his feet but insisted there is room for improvement.

“Marcus has been great,” Inzaghi added. “All the boys have been working hard since 13 July; we always think about ‘us’ and not ‘I’. They’re working really well together, as a group.

“Marcus has settled in really nicely thanks to the help he’s received from us all and he still has room to get even better. He needs to keep growing at the rate he has been since he got here.”

Atalanta pushed Inter all the way in their two league fixtures last season, losing both 3-2, while Inzaghi’s prevailed 1-0 in the Coppa Italia quarter-final en route to going all the way.

It has been five years since Atalanta have defeated their next opponents but while manager Gian Piero Gasperini is wary of what lies ahead, he welcomes the challenge.

He told a press conference: “We will play the undoubtedly strongest team (in the league), not just because of their results.

“Inter have grown, they have added a lot of new players and have considerable options to choose from. Likewise, we’re on a roll. It will be a good test, a big match indeed.”

This will be the start of three fixtures in eight days for Atalanta, who welcome Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday before a trip to take on Udinese next Sunday.

Gasperini added: “We are fully focused on the Inter game at the moment.”

Tony Docherty revealed his Dundee players are back in a “buoyant” mood following their comprehensive midweek defeat by Rangers as they prepare for the visit of Livingston on Sunday.

The Dark Blues lost 5-0 at home to the Light Blues on Wednesday night and their first loss in five games left them ninth in the cinch Premiership, one point ahead of second-bottom Livi whom they beat 2-0 in West Lothian last weekend.

The Gers match was delayed by 45 minutes after the Rangers team bus was held up in traffic and then suspended for 18 minutes after the travelling fans let off a large number of flares that triggered fire alarms under the stand.

Boss Docherty has consigned an unusual evening to history to concentrate on Livi and the challenges they will present.

He said: “We’ve addressed that, we’ve analysed it and we move on from it. It’s now Livingston at home and our sole focus is on that.

“I think the way we can identify that was this morning’s training.

“They came in the door and as a result of the game the other night, they are not feeling the best but when they leave they’re feeling really good about themselves.

“We had a really good training session and we’ve done a session analysing the game and they went back out the door all fully prepared for that Livingston game.

“So I think you can gauge it that way, the way the players are, and they were really buoyant going out the door after a healthy training day.”

Docherty’s newly-promoted side lost 3-0 to Celtic last month before going on a four-game unbeaten run against Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Ross County and Livingston and he is looking for a similar reaction following the loss to the other half of the Old Firm.

He said: “I would say the Rangers game was probably below the standard that the players have set.

“The last time we had a game against Celtic we lost 3-0 and I said to the players, these Old Firm games won’t determine our fate, but it is important how we react.

“After the Celtic game, we had a draw at Easter Road, a draw at home to Ross County and we beat Livingston so the reaction from the last game against one of the Old Firm was really good and so I am hoping and confident I will get the same reaction from the players this time.”

Victor Osimhen will miss Napoli’s Serie A derby against Salernitana with the striker due back with the squad next week to continue his recovery from injury.

The 24-year-old, a reported target of Manchester United and Chelsea, has been out since mid-October with a hamstring problem.

Osimhen was granted permission by the club to travel home to Nigeria but he will return over the next few days to build up his fitness.

“He has made an agreement with the club,” head coach Rudi Garcia told a press conference.

“I’ve heard from him by message, and the doctors assure me that he is following the program. Everything is fine and he will be with us next week.”

Napoli will travel to Salernitana without Osimhen or young striker Lorenzo Russo.

“It’s not that I don’t care, but whether it’s Osimhen or Russo, injured together, cannot play and therefore I focus on who can play,” added Garcia.

“It won’t be an easy match, it’s a derby first of all, they need points, but we only have one positive result to achieve, the victory there, and we have to field the best version of Napoli, we know what to do.”

Napoli currently lie fifth in the table and are already seven points behind leaders Inter Milan.

But they did hit back from two goals down at half-time to draw 2-2 with AC Milan on Sunday thanks to second-half goals from Matteo Politano and Giacomo Raspadori.

“We’re a quarter of the way through the championship, three quarters remain to get back to whoever is in front,” said Garcia.

“We conceded two goals from Milan’s first two actions, we didn’t do badly, we should have done better on the two goals, but we also had the chance to make it 1-1, but that’s over now and let’s focus on tomorrow.

“Obviously when a team comes back from 0-2 to almost 3-2 at the last minute the second half was better in terms of results. It’s always better to end on a positive note.”

Salernitana lie bottom of the table, without a win so far and with four points from their opening 10 matches.

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli is happy with the cohesion amongst his players but says performances still need to improve as they prepare to host Udinese on Saturday.

Milan threw away a two goal lead last weekend at Napoli as Olivier Giroud put them 2-0 up before the hosts scored two second-half goals to share the spoils.

Despite sitting third in Serie A, Milan are now without a win in their last two and Pioli would like his team to improve their performances.

He said in quotes reported on AC Milan’s official website: “I’m extremely satisfied with the group that’s been formed, as I am with our identity.

“I can safely say that I never have any doubts about the togetherness and cohesion; the lads are open and their attitude has always been top notch.

“Even in the Scudetto-winning year, we weren’t as together as this group are.

“But we do need to up our performances from a technical and concentration point of view.”

Milan will look to put things right when they play Udinese at San Siro, who have yet to pick up a win this season despite drawing seven of their opening 10 games.

Pioli expects Udinese to sit deep defensively and admits it could be tough to break them down.

He added: “I believe Udinese will play a waiting game and line up with a tight, low block.

“The main difficulties will be finding the right spaces to surprise them, but at the same time not be left open ourselves on the counter.

“We’ll need to remain composed, patient and compact. We’ll put our best possible side out there tomorrow; we want to win and then start to think about the Champions League.”

Striker Giroud has made a bright start to the season so far having scored six times and assisted three goals throughout the opening nine games, and is the league’s second top scorer behind Lautaro Martinez.

Pioli has hailed his front man and thinks he is among the best strikers he has managed throughout his career.

He said: “Giroud is a great person and player; I’ve always been lucky to coach many top centre-forwards, and he is certainly one of them.

“We all need to improve because that one per cent extra from everyone can make the difference.”

Aidan O’Brien has had his eye on the Breeders’ Cup Turf all year for Auguste Rodin.

The fact the beautifully-bred colt has won the Derby at Epsom, the Irish equivalent and the Irish Champion Stakes already only adds to his appeal.

Being by the Japanese champion Deep Impact and out of the Galileo mare Rhododendron, a three-times Group One-winning sister to the brilliant Minding, Auguste Rodin had every chance of making it to the top.

There have been bumps in the road, namely no-shows in the 2000 Guineas and the King George at Ascot, but O’Brien feels he has got to the bottom of those and everything is in place for another big run.

“This is the race for Auguste Rodin, it’s a lovely flat track and we’ve probably had our eye on this one all year,” said O’Brien.

“The (Irish) Champion Stakes should have set him up lovely for it.

“He’s a very well-balanced horse and on breeding one we have dreamed about. A Galileo mare with Deep Impact.

“The couple of times he got beat he flew in on the day but he’s travelled over here well and is beautifully relaxed. I think he’s totally happy in himself.

“He’s a big personality and confident in himself. I’m looking forward to him showing what he can do.”

O’Brien has won the Turf more than any other trainer, six times. But John Gosden has a success to his name through Enable and is hoping Mostahdaf can sign off his career in the best possible fashion.

The five-year-old has been enjoying himself in the mornings at Santa Anita, and is all set for one more big assignment before he retires to take up stallion duties.

His victories in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International are two of the best pieces of form European racing has to offer this season over 10 furlongs, but he faces an extra quarter of a mile here.

“Mosthadaf is the most cheerful of horses and is thoroughly enjoying himself,” said Gosden.

“Horses can be vociferous like him out here. He’s a great joy to train and can go out and shout like Stradivarius who was also raw.

“The Classic has cut up and the Turf is by far the best race on the card. I wouldn’t underestimate the French horse (Onesto). It’s a fabulous mile-and-a-half turf race.”

It is only two weeks since King Of Steel brought the house down at Ascot by lunging late to provide Frankie Dettori with the perfect send-off in Britain by lifting the Champion Stakes.

Trainer Roger Varian acknowledges the quick turnaround, but has been delighted with his condition both before his trip across the Atlantic and since touching down on the American west coast.

He said: “He seems to be thriving and we will never know until those gates open and we see how he performs, but in his demeanour and action and the way he is, we really couldn’t be happier with him and we have our fingers crossed for a good performance.

“You have to treat every horse as an individual and they are all a little bit different, but he has a great constitution and seems to have taken the Ascot race in his stride. Horses can really thrive at this time of year or they can cry enough. He’s not had too busy a season, he’s only had the five races nicely spaced out.

“He travelled out here well and with the sun on his back and the change of scenery, he seems to be in great form. The vibes he’s giving us are really positive.”

King Of Steel is set to stay in training for the 2024 season and Varian is hoping the trip to California will serve his colt well in the long-term no matter what the result on Saturday.

“I think win, lose or draw the experience won’t be lost on him and will stand him in good stead for whatever we aim him at next year,” he added.

“He’s going to stay in training so he’s an exciting horse for us all to look forward to next year and horses often improve with racing and different experiences.

“Hopefully we will come home with a prize but if we don’t, then I don’t think it will be a wasted experience.”

Bricks And Mortar in 2019 was the last home-trained winner, but in Todd Pletcher’s Up To The Mark there is a live threat to the Europeans.

A revelation since switching to the grass from dirt, his last three starts have produced Grade One victories, most recently beating Charlie Appleby’s Master Of The Seas.

And while like Mostahdaf he must prove as effective at a mile and a half, his Hall of Fame trainer is confident in that regard.

“He’s a horse that trained very impressively before his debut, which he won, at Saratoga,” Pletcher said.

“Then we got a little bit frustrated with what he did after his maiden win. After his last his last dirt race at Aqueduct, I said, ‘You know, I think this might be a turf horse’.

“We just feel like the strength of his race in the Manhattan at a mile and a quarter and the firm ground in California that the mile and a half is what he’s best suited for.

“The real key is the way he settles. He was very relaxed in the Coolmore Mile early on, which allowed him to deliver that big kick. And he did the same thing in the Manhattan. And also the (Bourbon) Turf (Classic) at Churchill.

“He turns off, he can gallop and then he can accelerate. As long as he does that, going a mile and a half, we feel confident that he can get that distance.”

Carlos Sainz led Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari one-two in practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sainz finished 0.108 seconds clear of Leclerc in the sole running before qualifying at Interlagos later on Friday.

George Russell took third spot for Mercedes, 0.133 sec adrift of Sainz, with Lewis Hamilton 12th and triple world champion Max Verstappen 16th in a topsy-turvy session.

Leclerc has been on pole at the past two races and Ferrari’s speed in Sao Paulo suggests the Italian team could be the favourites to lead the order again in qualifying.

However, neither Russell or Hamilton, nine tenths behind, posted a lap on the speediest soft tyre compound, with both British drivers electing to choose the medium rubber.

Verstappen, just over one second off Leclerc’s pace, also did not show his hand after he ran on the hard tyres.

Lando Norris finished 19th after he banged wheels with Nico Hulkenberg.

Norris attempted to make his way past the German driver at Turn 12 but their two machines made contact, and Hulkenberg was summoned to see the stewards.

Hulkenberg finished fourth ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll.

Qualifying for Sunday’s main event is due to get under way at 3pm local time (6pm GMT).

Thomas Frank hopes Ivan Toney will remain at Brentford “forever” but did not categorically rule out the England striker leaving the club in January.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with a swoop in the winter transfer window for Toney, who by January 17 will be available again after serving an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.

It has been reported that Brentford have slapped a £100million price tag on a player who scored 20 goals last season and made his England debut against Ukraine in a European Championship qualifier in March.

Frank was reluctant to confirm the accuracy of the valuation but recognises Toney’s importance and insisted the 27-year-old, who returned to training in September, is content to stay with Brentford.

Speaking ahead of Brentford’s match against West Ham on Saturday, Frank told a press conference: “I want him to stay. Ivan is happy to stay.

“He is happy at the club. What happens in the future is impossible to guess about.

“He’s a top player, one of our most important players, if not the most important last year. Any player that can score 20-plus goals in the Premier League are very, very important.

“Ivan’s skillset in terms of finishing abilities with his left and right (foot), heading and his composure in those moments and his link-up play and his presence, character, is a very good package.

“It’s not (up to) me to put a price tag on him, it’s down to the club. But I’m happy with him, I hope he plays here forever and I’m the coach.”

Midfield trio Mikkel Damsgaard, Keane Lewis-Potter and Josh Dasilva resumed light training this week. Damsgaard and Lewis-Potter are likely to return to practising with the first-team next week.

Brentford go into this weekend looking for a third successive win, having seen off Burnley and Chelsea in the last fortnight, and the Bees have beaten West Ham in all four of their Premier League meetings.

But Frank added: “West Ham are a very good side with a very good and experienced manager (in David Moyes).

“They’ve had a good start to the season, they top their group in the Europa League and are in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup.

“They are a strong opponent but we trust ourselves and believe and if we top perform, we have a good chance of winning.”