Brentford striker Nikos Karelis has been ruled out for a 'significant period of time' having suffered a serious knee injury against Millwall.

He only joined in the summer and this is a massive blow for the forward who had finally earned himself a place in the Bees starting XI.

It was the Greece international's first start for Brentford, and his injury came just after he had hit the post with a fine effort.

At 27-years-old, he'll be hoping to return to full fitness as quickly as possible, and start to make a name at Brentford in order to earn himself a further year on his current one-year deal.

Karelis is yet to score for the Bees and spent most of the early months trying to regain his fitness in order to make some appearances in the English game. He made just four before his latest setback, and Bees fans will now be looking ahead worried about their striker options.

Brentford travel to QPR on Monday night, looking to keep up their good form of late.

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The Verdict

It's a massive blow in terms of squad depth and what he could have potentially brought to the side, as an extra attacker on the bench can make a huge difference when in need of a goal.

Karelis never quite got the opportunity to shine, but Bees boss Thomas Frank will learn a lot more about his attitude from this injury, then when he was fit. If he can overcome this setback once more and earn a place back in the Brentford side, then maybe he'll get another year on his deal.

At this point it's unlikely, and what was a risky signing anyway, now looks like a failed attempt at bringing in a free agent.