Brentford were recently hit with the unfortunate news that midfielder Lewis MacLeod will miss the remainder of the season following a nasty knee injury which he sustained against QPR.

The Scottish midfielder requires reconstructive surgery and is set for a very lengthy spell on the sidelines.

While this is devastating for MacLeod, it is also a big problem for Dean Smith because the 22-year-old was a big part of his plans for this season.

The central midfielder had featured in 13 of the 15 Championship games before his injury.

The former Scotland under-21 international had only just broken into the Brentford team after joining in January 2015 because injuries had limited him to just one league game in his year and a half at Griffin Park up until this season.

Dean Smith will now have to find a replacement for the former Rangers midfielder, who is a creative box-to-box central midfielder with both attacking and defensive qualities.

Here are 2 suggestions he could consider in January.

Joey Barton

This move would be controversial, of course, but there is no denying that Joey Barton is a class player at Championship level when he applies himself.

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a successful career on the field but it has been blighted by incidents off the field, such as his recent disagreement with current employers Rangers which has seen him suspended by the club for a while and an Ibrox exit looks imminent.

The former Manchester City, Newcastle, QPR and Burnley midfielder will probably be available on a free transfer and he adds a no-nonsense, tough-tackling approach to the midfield but also the ability to move the ball forward dangerously and deliver quality service to the forwards.

Tom Carroll

Tom Carroll has lost his way at Tottenham after much early promise and a January exit from White Hart Lane could be on the cards.

The 24-year-old has had four loan spells and Brentford could be his fifth temporary club or even a permanent home for him in the future.

The former England under-21 international is a technically gifted left-footed playmaker but he might move from Spurs in order to further his own career.

 

Brentford fans - do you agree with these two suggestions? Who else could come in and fill MacLeod's role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below...