Wingers Robbie Brady and Johann Berg Gudmundsson have both been back to strengthen the Clarets’ squad after spells out through injury and suspension.

And Dyche also had a trick up his sleeve in the shape of new signing Peter Crouch, who made a major impact as a substitute on his debut as he helped Burnley hit back to draw against Southampton last weekend and extend their unbeaten Premier League run to six games.

“It’s always better to have the competitive element,” said the Burnley boss, who is still likely to be without midfielder Steven Defour for Saturday’s trip to Brighton.

“The team that played last week, when you can affect it with two quality players coming off your bench like Robbie and Johann, and then Crouchy as well, another quality player who knows his way around the Premier League, it’s fair to say it’s a good situation to be in.

“We’ve had spells this season when we’ve had three or four defenders on the bench.

“That’s a different kind of affecting a game by putting a defender on. It’s unlikely you very often put defenders on, unless you have to through injury.

“Whereas attacking players, it’s very likely you put them on, so the more attacking players you have fit and available, you hope that bodes well for any given game-day.”

Full-back Matthew Lowton has been back in training this week after recovering from a cracked toe bone and will be checked before the trip to the south coast, where a win for the Clarets will lift them level on points with 13^th-placed Brighton.

But Brady and Gudmundsson are both fully fit, with Gudmundsson two games into his comeback and Brady returning last Saturday to feature in his first league game for a month.

POS	Team	PL	PTS
15	FOR	5	5
16	BUR	5	4
17	BRE	5	4

POS	Team	PL	PTS
15	FOR	5	5
16	BUR	5	4
17	BRE	5	4

Sharper Cutting Edge Pleases Dyche

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