Burnley captain Ben Mee expected to miss crucial games with Manchester City and Everton

Sean Dyche effectively ruled the former City youngster out of the next two games at least, having missed Burnley's last two games after suffering a problem against Leicester a month ago which Dyche described as: “a knock, a very tiny hairline kind of situation on his fibula, which is non weight-bearing, but it still needs taking care of.”

City are at Turf Moor on Saturday, with the Toffees next up on Wednesday night in what could be a critical game in terms of the Clarets’ Premier League status.

Mee himself tweeted this afternoon: “A good session today - rehab going well. Doing everything to get back fit as soon as I can.”

But Dyche gave an injury update on his squad after three weeks without a game, and explained he will again be without Mee, Erik Pieters, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and the suspended Nathan Collins, who will sit out the City game after his dismissal at Brentford, while Matej Vydra could be involved after returning to training after a dislocated elbow.

Asked who could be available for Everton, Dyche said: "Vyds is probably more likely to be around it. Ben, I doubt it. I doubt it with Erik and I doubt it with Johann."

Republic of Ireland international Kevin Long will come in at centre back alongside James Tarkowski for his first appearance since last February.