Vincent Kompany explains thinking behind departures of Burnley duo Darko Churlinov & Michael Obafemi

The duo have joined Schalke and Millwall respectively in loan deals until the end of the season.

Churlinov scored on his second Schalke debut during a 4-1 defeat to Kaiserslautern last week, having previously enjoyed a loan spell with the German outfit during the 2021/22 season.

His loan spell with the 2. Bundesliga outfit also includes an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

As for Obafemi, he was given his first outing for Millwall as a second-half substitute during the 1-1 draw with Preston North End last weekend.

Down the pecking order at Turf Moor, the Republic of Ireland international saw just 19 minutes of action this season following his return from a serious hamstring injury.

Obafemi made his return in November but he’s since made just two substitute appearances against Arsenal and Sheffield United respectively.

Churlinov, meanwhile, hasn’t made a single outing for Burnley’s first-team following their promotion to the Premier League.

Both Churlinov and Obafemi depart with Kompany’s best wishes, with the Clarets boss hoping they return better players.

When asked to explain the thinking behind both departures, Kompany provided a forthright response: “Game time.

“I had conversations with the players and players want to play and I respect that.

“We hope they will do well, we hope they will continue to develop and then in pre-season they should be with us.”