Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Ivan Toney is set to play his first match since May on Tuesday as he prepares to return from a lengthy betting ban.
The Brentford striker was suspended for eight months at the end of last season after he admitted to 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.
That has not stopped Arsenal and Chelsea from registering their interest in the English striker and both clubs are plotting moves in the January transfer window.
But first, Toney must return to full fitness, and according to The Athletic he is set to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly for Brentford for Tuesday having returned to training on September 18.
It will be the first match Toney will have played since Brentford’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool on May 6.
Toney is only able to play in behind-closed-doors matches at the moment due to his betting ban and cannot play in official competitions for Brentford until January 17.
The first game in which he will be able for selection comes against Tottenham on January 30.
Toney has registered 68 goals and 21 assists across 124 games for Thomas Frank’s side and his manager is keen to keep hold of him despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
‘I don’t want to sell him,’ Frank said. ‘He is a fantastic player. He has been so good for us and scored a lot of goals. I just want to keep him for the rest of his contract.’
Despite Frank’s desire to keen Toney at Brentford, it is believed that the Bees would be open to selling the 27-year-old for around £80m.