Brentford striker Ivan Toney prepared for his return to competitive action with a hat-trick in Saturday's appearance for the B team.
Toney has not played a competitive match since May after he was handed an eight-month suspension for breaching the Football Association's betting regulations.
The 27-year-old missed Friday's 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round, but he will be eligible to play in the club's next Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on January 20.
With his lengthy ban set to expire, Toney warmed up for his return to action with an impressive display for Brentford's B team on Saturday.
The England international netted a hat-trick as Neil MacFarlane's side cruised to a 5-1 victory over Southampton's Under-23 team in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
🎩 @ivantoney24 in the goals
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 6, 2024
Enjoy the Big Man's hat-trick ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/1IVPOduBeD
Toney tucked the ball home from Kyreece Lisbie's cutback to open the scoring inside four minutes, before he nodded in from a free kick to restore Brentford's advantage following a Southampton equaliser.
After giving his side a narrow half-time lead, Toney grabbed his and Brentford's third within 10 minutes of the restart.
The forward then set up Iwan Morgan to take Brentford's tally to four, before Ashley Hay rounded off the scoring to complete a comfortable win.
Toney's clinical display reminded Brentford and any potential suitors of his goalscoring talents ahead of his long-awaited comeback.
© Reuters
Despite being out of action for a significant period, Toney continues to attract interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
However, Brentford boss Thomas Frank recently played down any suggestion of a January departure, amid speculation that it could take around £100m to persuade the Bees to part ways with one of their prized assets.
Frank will certainly be looking forward to having his star striker available, especially with Bryan Mbeumo sidelined due to an ankle problem.
Providing he remains at the club, Toney could be vital to Brentford's survival hopes, having scored 32 Premier League goals across the last two seasons.
After losing five consecutive top-flight matches, the Bees are languishing in 16th place with four points separating them from the drop zone.
