Brentford's Hickey returns to training after 16 months out

Aaron Hickey signed for Brentford from Italian side Bologna in the summer of 2022

Brentford defender Aaron Hickey has returned to training after being sidelined since October 2023.

The 22-year-old Scotland full-back suffered a hamstring issue during the Bees' Premier League game against Chelsea last season.

He then suffered a further setback in his recovery during a training session in August 2024 before undergoing surgery for a second time.

Last month, Hickey signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal to extend his stay with Brentford until the summer of 2028.

In a social media post on Friday, Brentford said: "Aaron [Hickey] is training with the first team in parts and the plan is to be fully training next week.

"From next week, he needs a pre-season [to be ready]."

Hickey made his Scotland debut in March 2022 and has since won 14 caps for his country.

Brentford are currently 11th in the Premier League table and face a trip to West Ham in their next outing on Saturday, 15 February (15:00 GMT).