Lack of signings exacerbated by injury situation - Burnley boss Sean Dyche

But he feels his current paucity of options is made a lot worse by a freak run of injuries.

The transfer window closes a week on Monday, although Premier League clubs can still deal with EFL clubs - where Burnley so often do their business - until October 16th.

So far, the club have only been able to bring in back up keeper Will Norris and midfielder Dale Stephens, having lost Jeff Hendrick, Aaron Lennon, Joe Hart and Adam Legzdins at the end of their contracts at the end of June.

Add in injuries to Ashley Barnes, Jack Cork, Ben Mee, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Robbie Brady, Jay Rodriguez and, as we’re led to believe, Leicester City target James Tarkowski, and Dyche’s small squad is stretched to breaking point.

Five of the seven substitutes on duty against Southampton on Saturday night had no Premier League experience.

Dyche, as ever, is only focusing on what he can affect, and insists if there is no more business done, he will get on with the job at hand: “There’s no damage, when I first got here, we sold Charlie Austin and brought in three free transfers, that’s the way it goes.

“I try to manage the model that we have, I try and manage with the guidance of the chairman and the board, and that’s that. That’s what I do.

“There’s no damage, it’s just the truth of the club, it’s worked well for us over a period of time.

“I’ve said we need to stretch it, to look at it, because the market doesn’t care what we think, so that’s just the challenge I’ve had all along here, and that continues.

“It’s just exacerbated by the injuries we’ve got, obviously, if all those players are fit, you’d say we’re a few short, maybe just the depth, maybe newcomers that can grow with us, so these are the challenges.

“The injuries have really stretched us, and it looks a harder situation because we haven’t brought players in.”

However, in an ideal world, he and the players will get the support they so clearly need: "The chairman knows what is required. Action. We need players. It is a challenge though, here, it always has been.

"We have two experienced defenders on the bench and that is it. We are reliant on what we have. It is a challenge but we will have players back fit.

“We have been very unfortunate with injuries. We are stretched. The players are giving me everything.

“I've mentioned it for a number of months now - it's down to the chairman and the board to make those decisions."

Ideally, Dyche would like to add some craft and guile to his side, that was so lacking against the Saints, although that is what often costs the most money: “We are always looking for creative players but they do cost a lot of money and that is not easy to come by here.

“But equally it starts with getting our squad back together.

“We are sort of five, six, seven players deep that are very experienced and important players. That makes the challenge harder.

“But the players are working very hard and learning from each other.

“It isn't ideal. And we don't have any training time either because it is game after game and you don't have any time to mould the team and work with them because you are recovering, playing, recovering.”