Danny Ings ruled out of Sunderland clash
But Clarets boss Sean Dyche is grateful the 22-year-old’s hamstring injury is not as bad as first feared.
Ings, named the Championship player of the year as he hit 26 goals to help fire Burnley to promotion to the Premier League, was forced off just before half-time in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, after stretching to control the ball.
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Hide AdThe England Under 21 forward was in tears in the dugout afterwards, but Dyche said: “It’s settled down nicely. He won’t be fit (for Sunderland), and it is going to longer than days, but we’ll see how it continues to settle down. Ally (Beattie, physio) is pretty flexible about it, it seems a pretty standard hamstring injury and we’re pretty pleased with it.”
Midfielder Matt Taylor could also miss the game after sitting out the trip to Selhurst Park with an Achilles problem: “We’ll have to see over the next couple of days, but it’s still sore.
“It’s nothing too drastic, but it’s not really changed over the last few days.”
George Boyd came in for Taylor for his debut at Palace, while Marvin Sordell had his longest taste of Premier League action, coming on for Ings, and Dyche insisted: “I’ve always made it clear, even when Charlie Austin left, it’s a great opportunity for someone else, to take the shirt and fulfil the standard.”
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Hide AdBurnley go into tomorrow’s game with the fifth-best defensive record in the Premier League, but, along with QPR, the worst goals-for tally.
Dyche is aimig to build on that solid base: “It’s about keeping them out at one end and scoring goals at the other end - nothing has changed from the minute I walked in - the rest is conjecture. It’s about finding the best way to do that.
“The challenge is harder, against higher quality players than we are used to facing,
“We want to build on the strength of the team defensively, but we want to be free-flowing in attack - to find that final cross, pass, finish.
“We’re searching for that, to be more of a weapon for us, but generally, we’ve settled in really well with the basics.”