Burgess in fitness race

13 April 2012

Brentford will decide today whether to send on-loan striker Ben Burgess back to Blackburn in a bid to get him fit for their winner-take-all promotion clash against Reading next weekend.

Burgess limped off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury as Brentford drew 0-0 with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road to set up a dramatic finale to the season.

Steve Coppell's side will win automatic promotion if they can beat Reading, who are second in the table, at Griffin Park on Saturday. But if they draw - or lose - they will go into the play-offs.

Coppell said: "It may be an option to send Ben back to Blackburn because they have fabulous medical equipment.

Our main priority in this match was to make sure next Saturday's game was not meaningless . Now it is very meaningful. At the beginning of the campaign we could not have asked for any more.

Meanwhile, QPR manager Ian Holloway is in talks with Arsenal to keep winger Jerome Thomas on loan next season.

Thomas has been a big hit at Loftus Road and Holloway would love to sign him on a year-long loan deal.

Holloway said: "We've already spoken to Arsenal and I'd love him to stay because he is a bit special."