Scott Parker Fulham
Scott Parker has confirmed that James Ward-Prowse will make his first start for Burnley in their upcoming FA Cup tie against Mansfield Town. The midfielder, who made his debut off the bench in a recent dramatic 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace, will now have the opportunity to showcase his skills from the start as Burnley aims to progress to the last 16 of the FA Cup.
Scott Parker said: “James will play tomorrow, he’ll get a start tomorrow. I was really pleased that he came on the other night as well. I thought even the time he came into the game and the dynamics of what the game was, I think you see his experience a little bit. Tomorrow is another opportunity for him to get more minutes. He’s not played a lot of football, albeit played a little bit here with the Under-21s, so it’s a good opportunity for him and for us to see his quality and what he can bring to us.”
Parker also mentioned that Quilindschy Hartman is available for selection, despite limited appearances in recent weeks.
Parker added: “Yes, he’s available. So maybe there’s an option for Q to get some minutes. Obviously, it’s been a bit slow for him over the last four or five weeks for different reasons, so it could be a good opportunity maybe for him just to get some football in his legs again and get him up to speed.”
Burnley demonstrated their squad depth in the previous round by making eight changes yet still securing a commanding 5-1 victory over Millwall. Parker indicated that a similar strategy might be employed for the Mansfield Town match as they aim for a successful cup run alongside their Premier League survival battle.
Parker explained: “There’s a balance to that. I think it’s fair to say that we will make some changes to freshen things up and certainly give players that maybe have not had a lot of football, to give them football, keep them up to speed and give them the opportunity. We’re going with a real full squad here. But I think it’s fair to say we’ll try and get a balance on it, that we’re going with a real strong team that can put in a really good performance and win the game.”
Burnley’s approach reflects their ambition to balance squad rotation while maintaining competitiveness in both the FA Cup and the Premier League. With Ward-Prowse set to start, fans will be eager to see how the experienced midfielder influences the game and contributes to Burnley’s cup aspirations.
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