Burnley face an anxious wait on injured trio

Clarets boss Sean Dyche is glad of a free week as he assesses his walking wounded.
Knee injury: 20-goal striker Sam Vokes came off early in Saturdays 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester CityKnee injury: 20-goal striker Sam Vokes came off early in Saturdays 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester City
Knee injury: 20-goal striker Sam Vokes came off early in Saturdays 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester City

Burnley have no game until Saturday’s trip to Watford, and will hope the lack of a midweek fixture gives the likes of Keiran Trippier, Danny Ings and Sam Vokes more chance of being available to face the Hornets at Vicarage Road.

Dean Marney will be available at Barnsley next Tuesday after completing his two-match suspension.

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The Clarets lost the only unbeaten home record in the Championship, and their 16-match run without a loss in the league, to leaders Leicester on Saturday, without Ings (ankle), Trippier (hamstring) and Marney, with Vokes pulling up with a knee problem after only four minutes.

But QPR’s home draw with Blackpool means Burnley have a nine-point advantage in second place, with seven games to play, and Dyche said: “It would be nice to spin it around quickly again.

“Normally this time you want the games to come around quickly, but with the challenges we’ve had with injuries and stuff, you want it to be a week, so at least we have got a free midweek to allow these knocks and things to get settled.”

He faces an anxious wait over Vokes, and admitted: “It’s not ideal and obviously as everyone knows we’re down to one at the moment.

“Then it’s trying to be flexible as a group.

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“It’s too early yet. We’ve got the next 24-48 hours for it to settle.

“It’s not ideal when no-one’s kind of near them.

“They’re always the ones that you wonder about. “But we’ll have to wait and see.”

Asked about Trippier and Ings’ chances of facing Watford, he added: “We’ll see how the week goes, we can’t guarantee that but they’re on the right track.

“Tripps is going along nicely, Ingsy should start moving more freely again this week, but obviously he’ll be a bit longer.

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“Marns has just got to see out his next game and then he’ll be ready for selection again.”

Junior Stanislas also came off late on and had a ice pack on his knee, but Dyche said: “I don’t think that’s anything untoward.”