Thomas Frank has told his Brentford squad they need to all step up and be leaders, instead of relying on Pontus Jansson.
The Bees are at Leeds on Wednesday night - Jansson’s first return since he left in the summer - and the defender is already becoming a key part of Brentford’s team.
Asked if the Bees need Jansson to be a leader at Elland Road, Frank replied: “Yeah, but not only in that game.
"In the first three games and the following 42 games he needs to be a leader and a strong personality for us.
“We need more than Pontus. In a game like that you need at least seven or eight players to hit a good, top performance.
"Then you can have maybe two or three who don’t hit their top.”
Brentford - ninth-place finishers last term - currently sit 13th in the Championship after following an opening-day defeat to Birmingham with a narrow away win at Middlesbrough and a 1-1 draw against Hull City.
They were also stunned on penalties by fourth-tier Cambridge United in the first round of the Carabao Cup last week.
