Nahki Wells has been ruled out of Huddersfield Town’s 2016-17 Sky Bet Championship season opener at home to Brentford.

The Bermuda striker has been struggling with a knee injury during the preseason and has been declared unfit for today’s clash at John Smith’s Stadium.

“The manager has pulled me out because I haven’t really trained enough to go into a match,” Wells told The Royal Gazette.

“It hurts to miss the season opener but sometimes you have to put the season into perspective, it’s a long marathon and not a sprint.

“It’s a surreal let down to miss the first game and it hurts. But ultimately I just try to keep focused on the bigger picture.

“I feel that I am ready and can play a cameo role. But the manager is the manager and that’s his decision.”

Brentford will be oozing with confidence going into today’s game having secured the double over Huddersfield last season, including a season ending 5-1 away win in May.

“Brentford have got the better of us in the last two games, they’ve beaten us twice comfortably,” Wells, Huddersfield’s top goalscorer and most valuable player last season, said. “They are a similar type team to us in understanding the game, wanting to play in the right manner and working hard.

“They are probably one of the biggest teams in the Championship so it will be a tough one. But we are as ready as we can be and hopefully we can go out there and get a good start, which I don’t recall us doing in the last few years. I am hoping for a victory.”

Meanwhile, Wells, who hopes to be back in David Wagner’s squad for Tuesday’s League Cup tie at Shrewsbury, has been named as a transfer-target for Championship rivals Fulham.

The London club sold striker Ross McCormack to Aston Villa for £12 million this week, and Slavisa Jokanovic, the Fulham manager, has identified Wells as a possible replacement.

However, the Huddersfield striker said it would be “disrespectful” to publicly comment on any transfer speculation surrounding a potential move away from the West Yorkshire club.

“I’m not focused on any press regarding me possibly moving, so regardless of who I am being linked with it’s a bit disrespectful for me to comment on that,” Wells said.

“I am focused on doing as well as I can as a Huddersfield Town player and getting ready for Tuesday.”