Keith Andrews interview: Gil Vicente, Nunes injury update and Portugal review | OneFootball

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has discussed the Bees’ 1-1 draw with Gil Vicente on Friday evening, as well as a review of the club’s pre-season camp in Portugal so far.

The west Londoners have been away for a week, based at Cidade do Futebol, with the game against Gil Vicente being the only match on the tour, which Andrews was happy with.

“I was pleased, overall, really pleased," he stated.

“The week, in general, has been geared towards this game. The plan was always to play the majority of players for 45 minutes in two different halves.

“The first half had the more senior players playing, getting to know each other, things we’d worked on in training, maybe not to the level we wanted, but it’s pre-season and that’s why we’re working on it.

“Second half, I was slightly disappointed with the start, we were a bit passive, but then we got a grip of the game and the last half-hour we were solid. The younger team out there will gain confidence from that - they looked dangerous and kept them relatively quiet coming the other way.”

In the second half, Gustavo Nunes was replaced by Romelle Donovan after the Brazilian youngster picked up an injury.

Asked how serious the issue appeared to be, Andrews stated: “I’m not sure. I’ve just spoken to him very briefly, but he’s obviously felt his hamstring; that’s pretty clear for everyone to see.

“It’s devastating for him because he’s come back slightly earlier from his holiday to get ready for pre-season and put himself in the position.

“After a frustrating season last year with injuries, hopefully it’s nothing too serious, because he’s a talented player.”

With the squad travelling back to England on Tuesday, Andrews explained how successful the trip has been for him and the players.

“I’ve loved it, I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said. “We were here last year, so we know the facilities and we know the hotel, which gives you a level of comfort with the surroundings.

“And we’ve pushed the players and pushed the boundaries to where we want to bring them.

“We’ve been demanding of them, but we want to find the balance of also giving them the space, like they will have on their day off on Saturday.”