Burnley transfer rumours: Clarets ‘make contact’ for £10m midfielder, Crystal Palace ‘willing’ to sell Turf Moor target

Jay Rodriguez is currently the club’s only fully fit centre forward, with Matej Vydra battling on amid the need for a hernia operation, while Ashley Barnes is closing on a return after over two months out with a thigh problem.

And Dyche said: “It’s not the perfect scenario, but it is what it is.

“I do believe in people having the chance, and Woody has been one of the mainstays, but now he’s gone, it opens up the next window.

“We do want people to take on that challenge, and down the years I’ve believed in the players to do that, and I still believe in the players we’ve got here to take the challenge on.

“Vyds was meant to have a hernia operation and couldn’t because he had Covid, so that’s got to be replanned and he’s trying to soldier on, training and trying to make sure he’s okay.

“It’s his fitness and how long he can prolong that, but he will probably have to get that op done.

“Barnesy is going along well, but we knew when it happened it would be weeks, I did think it would be a longer period and that’s proved to be the case.

“He’s making some headway now but needs real training with us, games and stuff like that because it’s been a long time.

“Jay is a great servant to what it is, a fantastic pro, and we do believe in Jay.

“He’s been very unlucky this season with injuries and the timing of them, because he’d have played more football.

“We are at stretch, and Maxwel is away as well, he’s played more like a 10, but he’s been scoring for us.”