No fresh injury problems for Sean Dyche ahead of Liverpool clash

It’s a case of ‘as you were’ as regards Sean Dyche’s options for the trip to champions Liverpool.
Chris Woods effort is ruled out for off-side at West HamChris Woods effort is ruled out for off-side at West Ham
Chris Woods effort is ruled out for off-side at West Ham

But Dyche is boosted with key figures Chris Wood, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Robbie Brady getting fitter and stronger all the time.

Dyche is expected to be without skipper Ben Mee, Ashley Barnes, Jack Cork and Matt Lowton for the rest of the season.

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And though Wood, Gudmundsson and Brady are yet to start since the restart, the former is bang in contention at Anfield, and the two widemen could play their part over the last four games, as Burnley push for European football.

Wood came off the bench against Sheffield United, and got half an hour at West Ham, where he was only denied a 12th goal of the season by a tight off-side call.

Dyche said: “I think we have to be realistic to the fact that at some point we do need these guys playing.

“We are limited to the changes we can feel we can make to start, because I don't feel the young lads are necessarily ready to start, but they might come on.

“Woody has a better chance.

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“Johann and Robbie we have to be a bit delicate with, because they haven't had a lot of football, whereas Woody, until the shutdown, was up and running.

“He has a better chance than the others, but we have got to get the others slowly but surely involved, and we will be looking to do that.”

Dyche has made the fewest substitutes of any Premier League manager this season, and is yet to make full use of the new quota of five changes from nine: “It is more difficult in the tight games, because when the team is operating, I tend to leave it alone.

”If you look at my history, I have picked that team for a reason as I believe it is going to operate throughout a game, so it will depend on that as well.

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“I always believe in giving them the best chance to be clear of injury, and this is really difficult at the minute because they haven't had the amount of game time they would normally have coming out of an injured period because they haven't had reserve games and stuff like that.“

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