Vitinho’s versatility is vital, says Burnley boss Vincent Kompany

And in the enforced absence of the impressive Ian Maatsen, the club’s first Brazilian player is likely to be used at left back.

The summer signing from Cercle Brugge played there in the EFL Cup victory at Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night, as Maatsen sat out the first of his three-game suspension, following his red card against Blackpool on Saturday.

He is likely to again start there at Wigan on Saturday, and at home to Millwall on Tuesday, and Kompany feels his ability to play in several positions is crucial, especially when he isn’t in a position to cherry pick players to add to his squad.Kompany said: “He has played in this position many times, but it is also part of what I have said before.

"You can either go gung ho and have competition in each position, and you spend and spend and spend and you have a squad of 24.

"But that is not what we were able to do, so we have a few players who we can move about, Vitinho is one, Churlinov is one of them.

"And we still have quality, Viti has shown it as a right winger, a right back and a left back and for us that makes better use of our resources.

"I knew that (playing left back) was a potential, if you look at the squad it is one of the positions we are more covered than others.

"We will see how everybody has recovered and we will make a decision for Saturday.”