Burnley boss Sean Dyche ready to welcome back Olympian Chris Wood
The club's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer hasn't been available for selection in pre-season.
That's because the 29-year-old ex-Leeds United forward has been away making history with New Zealand at the Olympics.
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Hide AdWood captained the Kiwis as they took four points from games against South Korea, Honduras and Romania to finish second in Group B.
Burnley s Player of the Year then scored his spot kick in the shootout against hosts Japan in the quarter-final.
However, his dreams of winning a medal at the Games in Tokyo came to an end as the OlyWhites lost 4-2 on penalties.
Dyche said: “Woody is coming back – unfortunately for Woody.
“It’s shame for him and for them but good for us, in a way.
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Hide Ad“He comes back and will be able to re-acclimate and get a bit of recovery before he joins in with us."
The Clarets chief was delighted to get through a fifth pre-season fixture unscathed.
And he re-affirmed that the ambition is to add to his injury-free squad with a month of the window remaining.
Lyon's Maxwel Cornet and Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who was on loan at West Brom last term, remain top targets.
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Hide Ad"We are still in the market to support the group where we can but when we’re fit and well I’ve always said it, I think we’ve got a good outfit," said Dyche.
“There are a couple of games coming up so we will see how the squad looks after that.
“I am pretty pleased and the main thing is – so far – we are injury-free.
“Everyone is fit and well at the moment and long may that continue, of course.
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Hide Ad“Then if we can reinforce the squad as well, we’d like to think we are growing into pre-season so that when the real stuff starts we’re ready."
The Clarets made it five from five in pre-season when overturning a deficit to beat Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.
Nat Knight-Percival had given Micky Mellon's men the lead early in the second half.
But Dwight McNeil scored a stunning winner late on after Ashley Barnes had restored parity with 20 minutes remaining.
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Hide Ad“It was a great finish from Dwight," Dyche said. “He is looking sharp and fit and there’s a nice edge to them.
“They have come back fit and well.
“I’m really pleased overall and I’m pleased we took this game on. It’s a shame about the Forest one but I think this was the right game the way it went and the way Tranmere went about it."
He added: “It was a real proper game, so I was pleased with it.
“They are a decent outfit and pushed us hard, which was good for us so we feel like we benefited from this.
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Hide Ad“That’s maybe a thing that comes during pre-season – that sharpness around the box – because it could have been a more comfortable performance, as regards goals.
“But I thought the general performance – forgetting about the goals – was good. I liked the tempo about the play, the energy and I thought there was a nice edge to it, so I was pleased overall."