Florentino, Flemming, Foster and Broja: Burnley absences explained for Ajax game
Nicky Hayen explains key absences during Burnley’s friendly with Ajax
Florentino Luis wasn’t risked for Burnley during their friendly against Ajax so as not to jeopardise a potential move to Hull City.
That’s according to Clarets boss Nicky Hayen, who has revealed the midfielder’s future is likely to be decided in the coming days.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s fixture in Amsterdam, Burnley’s new head coach admitted he was uncertain whether Florentino would feature given the ongoing speculation.
As it turned out, the Portuguese man was left at home ahead of an expected move to Premier League newcomers Hull.
When asked by the Burnley Express if Florentino’s absence was a sign his exit is imminent, Hayen replied: “That's possible.
“We didn't want to take the risk with Tino for having an injury, so we gave him the days for the club to take care of that.
“We will see in the upcoming days what it will be. But we know there is an offer and we'll see what happens in the next few days.”
Zian Flemming, Lyle Foster and Armando Broja were also among those not involved - which, in Flemming’s case, led to suggestions he might be heading for the exit door following his impressive season in the Premier League.
“They were injured,” Hayen said.
“Zian is just coming back after a few weeks without training, so it was not smart to give him minutes today.
“Broja has a little knock, so he will be out for a few weeks. Lyle is just coming back, he had some holidays.
“Sometimes you don't have to take some risks with players and that's the reason they were not involved today.”