

Burnley transfer rumours: EPL rivals ‘make approach’ for Burnley star, Aston Villa in ‘advanced negotiations’ for Everton player
Burnley assistant Ian Woan had said before the Clarets’ FA Cup clash against Huddersfield Town that the club was a “no-excuse environment.”
And he wasn’t making any after two late goals saw the Championship side Huddersfield Town knock his team out of the FA Cup at the third round stage.
Burnley were hit with Covid ahead of the game, with manager Sean Dyche and first team coach Steve Stone absent and a number of players unavailable.
The Clarets fielded a strong starting line-up, with further changes unable to be made in the circumstances, with a bench of seven, including four youngsters.
Woan felt the players on duty were good enough to have won the tie, however, after Jay Rodriguez’s opener, and he said: “Very disappointed, Huddersfield came on strong in the second half, but the game could and should have been over at half time if we could just smell it a bit more, show a bit more belief.
“The game was kind of petering out and then a sloppy mistake, indicative of where the season is right now.
“You get punished for half a mistake, then we are done on a set piece.
“Bitterly disappointed. The team we put out is as strong as we could go.
“We are stretched to the absolute limits. There is very little we can do to change it.
“We have to keep working with the players we have got.”
Preparations were hit, but Woan wasn’t leaning on that: “There are no excuses. We wanted to get the game on. I’m sure we could have got the game off, but that is not the way we work.
“There has been a lot of disruption his week, but the starting 11 was strong enough to win the game.
“It’s a no-excuse environment, but we are super stretched this week, the manager, the coach, six players with Covid, two or three with injuries, Cornet away, so you’re at your very limit.
“We have to keep believing in what we do and hopefully get some bodies back for the next couple of weeks.”

1. Spurs plot Traore bid
Tottenham Hotspur are hoping that a bid in the region of £18m will be enough for Wolves to consider selling Adama Traore to them during the January transfer window. (Daily Mail) (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

2. Villa close in on Digne
Aston Villa are in advanced negotiations to sign Lucas Digne from Everton, with the left-back understood to favour a move to Steven Gerrard’s side. (Sky Sports) (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

3. Longman set for permanent exit?
Brighton could recall Ryan Longman from his loan spell at Hull City, with a clutch of Championship sides looking to sign him permanently. The Tigers, Nottingham Forest, Preston North End and Huddersfield Town are all keen. (The72) (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

4. Newcastle want Wood
Newcastle have reportedly made an approach for striker Chris Wood from Premier League relegation rivals Burnley. (Telegraph) (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)