Injuries Bite As Clarets Prepare For Summit Meeting

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Squad strength tested as Clarets aim to halt City surge

2021-02-02T15:24:44.145Z

Injuries Bite As Clarets Prepare For Summit Meeting

Squad strength tested as Clarets aim to halt City surge

2021-02-02T15:24:44.145Z

Squad strength tested as Clarets aim to halt City surge

The Clarets face a number of injury concerns as they try to plot a way to slow Manchester City’s title challenge.

Burnley face a City side which has roared to the top of the Premier League on the back of eight straight wins (and 12 in all competitions) at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.

And if Sean Dyche’s squad is to be the first to beat the former champions since Tottenham Hotspur secured a 1-0 victory last November, they will have to do it with reduced numbers.

Top scorer Chris Wood looks set to see his ever-present league run come to an end after picking up a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, which halted Burnley’s three-game winning streak.

Injuries Bite As Clarets Prepare For Summit Meeting - Image 1

Midfielders Robbie Brady and Josh Brownhill are also likely to miss out, while striker Ashley Barnes and left-back Charlie Taylor remain doubts.

“We’re just having that spell where we get people fit and we get others injured,” said Dyche.

“Players are always desperate to play but we’ve got to try our best to make sure, because we keep getting people fit and they get re-injured or other people get injured. We’ve got to consider things.

“Charlie Taylor will still be a touch-and-go decision, as will Ashley Barnes.

“Woody came off the other day and we’re still finding out the depth of that, but it stands to reason he’s unlikely.

“Robbie Brady is still struggling a bit with an Achilles, so possible but unlikely.

“Josh Brownhill is another one. His is more straightforward. It’s just a pain issue because it’s on the top of his foot. There’s no fracture or anything sinister, just time really.”

Winger to move on after special time at Turf Moor

The Clarets’ injury list has lengthened again at the start of another busy month which will see them play six times in less than four weeks – with an FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Bournemouth next Tuesday night shoe-horned into the league programme.

And Dyche admits it’s not an ideal situation as he looks to keep the league’s bottom three at arm’s length and his team looking up the table after collecting 17 of their 22 points since a 5-0 loss at City at the end of November.

“It’s tough on the group. These are important players to us,” added the Burnley boss.

“We’ll see how it works out this week

“I don’t think any are major ones, necessarily. We are waiting on a bit more news on Robbie and Woody but that this stage we’re thinking they will settle down.

“But with another three-game week it’s hard to think they’ll make those games.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”