Jay Rodriguez is expected to be ruled out of a reunion with former club Southampton in Burnley’s first Premier League home game of 2020/21 on Saturday. The striker limped off in the opening 20 minutes of the Carabao Cup third round clash at Millwall with an ankle injury, after going for a header from a set piece. Manager Sean Dyche is not anticipating a long-term problem, but fears the weekend will come too soon to avoid Rodriguez being added to an already lengthy list of absentees, which continued to include defender James Tarkowski at The Den.
Sean Dyche said “It’s not ideal. We’ll give it 24 hours to settle down, it’s more of a twist. The lad dropped his foot on him and twisted, no malice, an accidental thing, but it was as he rolled his ankle. We’ll wait and see the extent of it but I’ll be pleasantly surprised if he’s fit over the next few days. Tarky’s still not available at the minute. Injured. Barnesy is getting fitter, Ben Mee is showing strong signs – we’re getting the group back together, but it can’t come quick enough. The two centre halves were immense in Carabao Cup, and the value of the squad being stretched with injuries, contracts and not making signings, is that the young lads have been with us since returning from lockdown, with us every day, training with the good centre forwards we have. Josh Benson obviously playing against opposite midfielders, Glenno (Anthony Glennon)…they’ve had a taste of football on loan and then come and work with our players every day, and it’s benefited them going into this pre-season. They’ve been with us all pre-season, and it does develop them. The young players (being blooded) we planned that, we wanted that, but there is a bit of necessity. There’s still a gap between what they are doing now and playing in the Premier League, but they are certainly on the right pathway. There’s a good group of players there , that are working hard and striving to do the right things, and that’s all you can ask. I’m really pleased for them, not just the fact they’ve done well (against Millwall).”
