Burnley face a stiff task in the Premier League without any new faces, says striker Chris Wood

Chris Wood of Burnley scores his sides first goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Turf Moor on July 15, 2020 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

A return to action for both Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Robbie Brady means Burnley boss Sean Dyche now has 14 regular outfield senior pros available for selection heading into the season's top flight opener away at Leicester City.

Though Ashley Barnes has returned to first team training, the trip to the King Power Stadium on September 19th may come to soon for the New Zealander's strike partner.

Dyche will also be without captain Ben Mee and midfielder Jack Cork, meaning Matt Lowton, Phil Bardsley, James Tarkowski, Kevin Long, Charlie Taylor, Erik Pieters, Gudmundsson, Josh Brownhill, Dwight McNeil, Ashley Westwood, Robbie Brady, Jay Rodriguez, Matej Vydra and Wood make up the pool which Dyche is able to pick from.

"We've got a good squad," said Wood. "We've lost a few players now, which isn't ideal, but hopefully over the next few weeks we'll get some in and we can carry on pushing.

"I'm sure the manager and the owner are working very hard to solve that and get it sorted. There's nothing we can control as players; we've just got to keep fighting, keep working and see where it takes us.

"We've lost six or seven players in the last year and tying them down would have increasingly helped the team going forward.

"Hopefully bringing in players will become very easy once they speak to players and they understand what the culture is like.

"At the moment we've got 13/14 fit first team players, it's going to be tough. We need everybody to be on their game."

Max Thomas, who was handed his first taste of first team action against Manchester City at the Etihad in June, defenders Jimmy Dunne, Anthony Driscoll-Glennon and Bobby Thomas, midfielders Mace Goodridge and Josh Benson and forward Joel Mumbongo all featured on the bench during Project Restart.

Lewis Richardson has also been in and around the first team, but Wood feels the club's youngsters still need time to develop due to the demands of the Premier League.

He said: "There's a few there with potential, I don't think most of them are ready just yet. It's a big step up from under 23s football into first team football, especially in the Premier League.

"They're getting there, slowly morphing into good players, but we need first team bodies in and around our dressing room right now."