Burnley expected to start Premier League season without key trio

Ashley Barnes, Ben Mee and Jack Cork are all expected to miss Sunday's game against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, and will certainly sit out Thursday night's Carabao Cup second round tie at home to Sheffield United,

Barnes hasn't played since New Year's Day, having undergone hernia surgery and suffered complications ahead of project restart, but is back training with the first team, however, the club are being careful with skipper Mee's thigh problem, which ruled him out late last season.

Cork will be behind that pair, having had ankle surgery at the end of July.

Boss Sean Dyche said, of their chances of featuring at Leicester: "Unlikely. Barnesy is doing very well, it is us more than him.

"We want to get some football matches into him, not just the training. He is going well at the moment

"Ben Mee we are being a little bit cautious with, he had a high level strain at the end of lockdown so we are being a bit more cautious with him and appropriately so.

"Corky is a slightly longer situation due to the nature of the operation he had but that is all going well.

"All three are in good shape but it is unlikely that they will be involved this week."