New head coach Dean Smith will take charge of his first game since leaving Walsall for Brentford on Saturday afternoon as the Bees host MK Dons at Griffin Park.

MK Dons will be wary of the task in hand against one of the division's in-form sides, but morale is currently high within the club's squad after just one setback in four matches.

Brentford

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After his appointment at the start of the week, Smith takes charge of his first game in rather unusual circumstances, with Brentford having suffered just one defeat in eight matches.

Taking over at a new club usually comes on the back of bad performances, but Smith must contend with the dilemma of being wary of making too many changes to a successful team versus trying to make his own mark at Griffin Park.

Brentford would have been prepared for such a scenario, with four successive wins coming in October under an interim head coach who had no interest in the full-time position, but for Smith, he finds himself in a new situation in his managerial career.

The former Saddlers manager would have been disappointed with just a point being registered away at bottom side Bolton Wanderers, but to some degree, it may have given Smith more leeway to put across his own way of thinking in the days leading up to Saturday's match.

However, the point on Monday did take Brentford to within a win of the top six or seven teams in the division, and victory this weekend would catapult the club into a promotion race for the Premier League, something which appeared extremely unlikely given their results at the start of the season.

Recent form: WWLDWD

MK Dons

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MK Dons make the short trip to London just a point above the Championship relegation zone, but manager Karl Robinson has every reason to be optimistic, despite facing one of the league's in-form sides.

Three successive defeats had left the club in the bottom three, but five points from four fixtures has given Robinson's team a small bit of momentum, while two clean sheets during the same period has also boosted morale after previously letting in goals left, right and centre.

MK Dons were perhaps fortunate to leave Molineux having shut out their hosts, who dominated much of the game, but the manner in which the visitors ended the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers was testament to their togetherness, a trait that bodes well for the rest of the campaign.

Robinson will know that they must keep accumulating points on a regular basis. Twice already this season, they have lost several games in a row, leaving an uphill task to get back into contention, although the fact that they have recovered from multiple setbacks in succession suggests that they should have the quality to remain in the Championship.

Their next seven matches come against teams who do not occupy a place in the top five, so the next four weeks could dictate the feeling around the club until May. If they move towards mid-table, they have every chance of another 12 months at the second tier, but if they miss out on points from winnable fixtures, they will find themselves under pressure in 2016.

Recent form: LLWLDD

Team News

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Brentford will again be without the services of Harlee Dean, who sits out the second match of a three-match ban for his sending-off against Nottingham Forest.

Smith could retain the same XI that started the match at the Macron Stadium on Monday night.

MK Dons are expected to be without Ben Reeves, but the midfielder is closing in on a return from a calf injury.

Joe Walsh, Simon Church and Matt Upson will all be absent from the squad.

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Button, Yennaris, Tarkowski, O'Connell, Bidwell, McCormack, Diagouraga, Woods, Judge, Swift, Vibe

MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Martin, Spence, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington, Potter, Poyet, Carruthers, Bowditch, Murphy, Maynard

Head To Head

Despite MK Dons' relatively short existence the two teams are no strangers, having played each other in League One.

Brentford have the better record over 18 games, with eight wins being recorded compared to just four for MK Dons.

The last three games have seen a win, a loss and a draw for both sides, but over the past eight games, Brentford have lost just once.

We say: Brentford 2-1 MK Dons

Smith is sure to have a few nerves ahead of his first game while MK Dons will not fear facing a team who were unable to get past Bolton earlier in the week. However, the Brentford players will be keen to impress their new boss and we feel that could be an important factor in this contest.

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