Burnley boss Sean Dyche: "There's more demand being put on the players than I've ever witnessed in the Premier League!"

At a time when there is more demand being placed on players than ever before, the Burnley boss feels his group will be ready to part with the pressures of the Premier League.

By the time the season finishes at Bramall Lane on May 23rd, the government’s four-step roadmap to negotiate a safe exit from lockdown should be in full swing.

The plan is for step three to be in operation by then, which will open the door to seeing family and friends, while hospitality venues and other outdoor attractions will also be reopened.

And due to the unrelenting nature of the game schedule, Dyche appreciates that most players across the country will be eager to unwind.

"Not everyone has the pressures of the Premier League, not everyone has the constant pressure of the game schedule that they've got," said Dyche.

"They are human beings and they do need a break, everybody needs a break in whatever role they play in their working life. It is difficult.

"There's not really much chance to get a break apart from the usual, which we're all doing, like watching movies, boxsets and endless sport.

"Just being able to shut down and step away from it, whatever players do, whether it's the cinema, dinner, a few drinks, golf, they have different ways of zoning out and cooling down.

"It has been tougher, even with the simple things of not being able to visit friends. It'd probably be someone who is not in football where you can just chat it out and carry on as normal. It has some form of affect on all of us."

The Clarets have played 13 times in 42 days since the turn of the year and have another three coming up within the next week, starting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Dyche has never known a game schedule like it in the top flight, especially at this time of year, and they've been forced to tackle it head on while combating an ever-increasing injury list.

Burnley have barely had time to come up for air, especially with the re-scheduling of fixtures causing further complications.

Wednesday evening's game at home to Leicester City will be the club's seventh midweek outing since the FA Cup tie against MK Dons.

"There's a ruling that enables them to place a game in the earliest available window," said Dyche.

"We just asked them to recognise the challenges we've had and the challenges that we've got, but they wanted to put it in the earliest window when there were others available.

"That's the ironic twist of life at the moment - we're talking about the world of health and safety yet there's more demand being put on the players than I've ever witnessed in the Premier League.

"We're asking more of them and they weren't able to recover as well or be fed as well. We're having more games than ever being played at the oddest times."

He added: "It's a delicate situation for them to make sure the game schedule is good while trying to be fair and it's delicate from the point of trying to ensure the players are well enough to give maximum performances.

"You want to put a team out there that can give everything they've got and that hasn't always been the case for us. It's not a gripe, it's just a reality.

"The only bone I've got is that if both teams go to the Premier League having agreed that the game could be played on a different date, then you say 'what's the point in asking us?' Why bother asking if it's not going to change?"

Dyche has also endured the strains of feeling shackled while not being able to escape the bubble. The longest-serving manager in the PL is counting down the days until he can go out for a bite to eat, enjoy a few drinks and go to a gig.

There has been very little to engage the mind away from the game, though his circle of friends have devised a form of escapism. Dyche has an eclectic taste in music and a collection of playlists have provided a nostalgic step back in time.

He said: "I'm not bored in my role - football management is full on. There's no payback in life in general for anyone now; you can't pop out, you can't have friends round, you can't go out for dinner, you can't have a pint. I'm human as well as being a football manager.

"I do work hard and it has its stresses and its strains so it's nice to have an end product to your week, a night out with friends, dinner, a few drinks, a gig. I love a gig. But it's a small price to pay compared to some. There are people having a really tough time.

"A few friends have been sending me playlists, which I've quite enjoyed. I've downloaded a few of them because I have hours and hours and hours in the car.

"There haven't been any new bands, it's just the stuff that I've listened to down the years. There have been some brilliant mixes, songs you forget, I love it when someone pulls out a song from nowhere, and I love the 80s as well.

"I've got a really eclectic mix. I've two older brothers so my musical taste is from the punk and the scar era, going through to the New Romantic, going through to the late 80s when I was coming of age, when it was going into the Madchester vibe and the rave scene.

"I've got loads of different types of music and my good friends send me mixes with all of their musical tastes on. There are some completely random choices so it's good, especially when you just play it and you get all the surprises through.

"People are just in that kind of mode where they're looking for alternatives just for that bit of spark, something nostalgic, a bit more reading, things that we sometimes take for granted."