Nicky Hayen admits Burnley may have to ‘survive’ until international break

Nicky Hayen admits it might be a case of Burnley surviving as best as they can until the upcoming international break.

The Clarets have endured a nightmare start to the season, propping up the Championship table after five games without a win to their name.

Hayen has already previously called for patience, as he oversees a change in style, beds in new players and nurses the match fitness of a number of Clarets who have faced lengthy spells on the sidelines.

But that patience is already wearing thin, with Burnley fans - already angry after a run of just one win since last October - reacting angrily to Saturday’s 2-1 capitulation to Bristol City.

With injuries mounting and the Clarets lacking any sort of cohesion or balance, Hayen admits it might be a case of getting through the next three games before re-assessing during the upcoming three-week international break.

“I rather want my team to be ready today than tomorrow,” he said.

“But with all the signings that we did and even the players who are still here who didn't play for a long time, it takes time.

“I'm the last one who is actually asking [for] time because I know how it goes in football and with results. I didn't expect this start to be fair also, so I'm also someone who really works for the fans to make them happy and give them three points.

“Also for me, it's frustrating at the moment because I can't give them what they deserve. But again, I'm not giving up.

“I was always resilient, I was even in more difficult situations and I turned it around and I'm 100 per cent sure, when everyone sticks together, that we can do it also.

“Because you see the players like Reo [Hatate] coming in now and Igor [Julio] is also not ready to play. It takes actually until the international break when everyone will be 100 per cent ready in fitness and then our team will be a really strong team.

“But you have to survive until then and it can be with a few victories and even a few losses. But at the moment we're in a really difficult situation.”