Super Eagles defender, Benjamin Fredrick, is in line to make his competitive debut for Brentford when the Premier League side face Reading in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews confirmed that the 21-year-old could feature after the club opted against fielding him for the B-team in their match on Sunday.
The decision was taken to ensure the defender was ready for the trip to Reading.
“He hasn’t had a lot of football but has come back in the last couple of weeks,” Andrews told reporters.
“We decided not to play him in the B team game on Sunday to make sure he was in the right place to be available for our game against Reading. I anticipate he’ll be involved.”
Fredrick has been working his way back after suffering a knee injury during his loan spell with Belgian club FCV Dender last season.
The setback kept him out of action from November and restricted his involvement in competitive football.
The defender was promoted to Brentford’s senior squad in July and subsequently signed a new four-year contract, with the club holding an option to extend the deal by another year.
His progress followed an impressive spell with Brentford B, where he helped the side win the Under-21 Professional Development League title and reach the Premier League Cup final in the 2024/25 season.
Fredrick joined Brentford from Nigerian academy Simoiben FC in 2023, initially on loan before the move was made permanent in April 2024.
He was also named Brentford B’s Players’ Player of the Year for his performances during the 2024/25 campaign.
His club progress earned him a senior Nigeria debut in May 2025, when he started the Unity Cup final against Jamaica at the Gtech Community Stadium.
He played the full 90 minutes before Nigeria prevailed 5-4 on penalties.
Fredrick subsequently featured prominently for the Super Eagles during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, starting their final four qualifiers and the play-off semi-final win over Gabon.
Nigeria, however, were eliminated by DR Congo on penalties in the final.
Brentford will travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium for Tuesday’s 8pm BST kick-off against League One side Reading.
The hosts advanced to the third round after beating Bromley on penalties and defeating Stevenage 3-0, while Brentford booked their place with a 6-1 victory over Birmingham City.
The Bees go into the cup tie after drawing 2-2 with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, with Kevin Schade scoring both goals.
A first-team appearance against Reading could mark an important step in Fredrick’s return and his pursuit of regular Premier League football.
