Pope Injury Looks Serious – Sean Dyche

Sean Dyche said he was "really disappointed" to have lost goalkeeper Nick Pope to injury in Burnley's 1-1 Europa League draw against Aberdeen, admitting the problem looks serious.

Pope was withdrawn after just 14 minutes at Pittodrie, receiving a knock to his shoulder and forcing Dyche to send on Anders Lindegaard in his place.

Lindegaard was on the field for just five minutes before Gary Mackay-Steven gave Aberdeen the lead from the penalty spot, but Sam Vokes rescued Burnley with a goal 10 minutes from time to level the tie at 1-1 going into the second leg.

Dyche gave a negative assessment of Pope's injury, saying: "We are waiting to find out more news.

"Nick has gone to hospital with an injury to his shoulder and it certainly looks more serious than not serious at this stage, so we are really disappointed in that.

"It was a bit of a needless challenge when Nick looked like he was just going to catch it, and then [after the ball lands] I think it's the second challenge.

"When he responds to stop the ball going in I think the lad has caught his arm and knocked it back, so we'll just have to wait and see."

The news is a particular blow to Burnley given Tom Heaton is yet to return to action following the dislocated shoulder he suffered last September.

They host Aberdeen at Turf Moor next Thursday and begin their Premier League campaign against Southampton on August 12.

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Dyche: Sanchez Deal Will Impact Burnley

Transfers fees have risen rapidly over the years, with the likes of Neymar, Coutinho, Paul Pogba and Gareth Bale all being bought for hefty sums.

And with Alexis Sanchez closing on a reported four-and-a-half-year £14 million per season contract deal to join Manchester United that is expected to be in excess of £60m, Dyche knows it only makes like harder for the Clarets to sign players.

Speaking ahead of facing United on Saturday, that could well feature Sanchez, Dyche explained the potential impact of the expected signing.

He said: "It creates a tougher challenge because every time one of the super powers spends enormous money on a player that drip-feeds down the market.

"So every player you then phone about has miraculously gone considerably up in value because they'll say 'well if he's worth that our players must be somewhere near as good as that'.

"So where does the next move from us come from? Where's the next valuation on one of our players or one of our targets?"

Sanchez could potentially earn £350,000 a week at United, which is a long way off the wages that the Burnley players take home.

Dyche continued: "It will be a while I think. Our chairman certainly backs our team the best the board feel we can. We're quite a long way off that but the numbers have jumped the last couple of years, so who knows?"

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Tarkowski Dream Of England Call

Burnley defender James Tarkowski believes the club’s impressive form this season could end in a first cap for England ahead of the World Cup.

The centre-back, 25, has made 21 appearances this season as the Clarets punch above their weight in the Premier League.

"We know that we are being watched because the team is doing well and the league position has been better than expected," Tarkowski told the Daily Express.

"Gareth Southgate has been to a few games and players are hoping they might get a chance. But there are a lot of players vying for a small number of spots in defence.

"That said the dream is closer than it was when I was at Oldham and Brentford. There, you know you are nowhere near it."

The central defenders chosen for Southgate’s latest squad included Chelsea’s Gary Cahill, John Stones of Manchester City, Everton’s Michael Keane, and Leicester City’s Harry Maguire.

Burnley sit seventh in the Premier League standings despite failing to win in their last six matches, and face Manchester United at Turf Moor on Saturday.

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Dyche Hails Burnley's Mentality

The Clarets suffered a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, when a Sergio Aguero brace and goals from Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva cancelled out Ashley Barnes' 25th-minute opener.

Despite the loss, Dyche believes his players showed a positive mentality against Pep Guardiola's side and could perhaps feel a bit unlucky to have conceded four goals considering the few chances City created.

“The fitness of some of the lads who haven’t played that much, Vokesy (Sam Vokes), Westy (Ashley Westwood), was good, but the details cost us," said Dyche, according to the Burnley Express.

“I think (City) had five efforts on target, and four goals. That’s sometimes what you get for £50m per player.

“We’ve got to develop that, it can’t be done overnight, season on season we’ve been adding and adding, but there isn’t a short fix, so we have to be aware of that.

“These moments can occur, but it’s hard, I think the team are giving a lot, and not always had the breaks, we’ve been a little bit hard done by, whether it’s a decision here and there, but I’m very pleased with the mentality of the players.”

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Lingard Double Saves Woeful United

Super Sub Jesse Lingard rescue woeful Manchester United with a brace as they came from behind to draw 2-2 with Burnley at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Barnes gives visitors early lead and Defour free-kick makes it 2.

Lingard backheel reduce the deficit and scores late equaliser

Match Summary

Jose Mourinho's side found themselves trailing 2-0 at the interval after Ashley Barnes broke the deadlock in the third minute, before Steven Defour doubled the Clarets' lead with a superb free-kick on 36 minutes.

But Lingard, who was brought on at half-time along with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, pulled one back with a cheeky backheel and struck again in stoppage time to earn a share of the spoils.

Full Report

The visitors made a dream start after Marcos Rojo was booked in the second minute for a foul on Johann-Berg Gudmundsson, whose free-kick was lashed home at the far post by Barnes after United failed to clear their lines.

Scott Arfield was inches away from doubling their lead on 12 minutes when he steered Gudmundsson's cross from the right just over the crossbar and onto the roof of the net.

The Red Devils had a couple of half-chances before Luke Shaw went close in the 17th minute as space opened up for him on the left, but his driven effort from 22 yards out was parred away by Nick Pope.

The Burnley keeper pulled off an even better save four minutes later when he clawed away Paul Pogba's header from a corner, and it proved crucial as his team went 2-0 up on 36 minutes. David De Gea had no answer to Defour's curling free-kick which found the top-left corner of the net from 25 yards out.

The hosts almost halved the deficit two minutes later from Pogba's exquisite diagonal ball that found Rashford on the left, with the forward cutting inside and beating Pope but Ben Mee was there to clear off the line.

Pogba then came close two minutes before half-time with a curling shot from 20 yards out that flew narrowly past the right post, although the Clarets were deserved leaders at the break.

United were quickly on the attack after the restart with Pogba flashing a shot a few feet over the bar from 25 yards out in the 46th minute, while half-time substitute Lingard somehow failed to score five minutes later when he steered Ashley Young's cross from the right against Pope's face and onto the bar from two yards out.

But he struck just two minutes later with a sublime finish from another Young cross, which was flicked into the bottom-left corner of the net off his heel.

Pogba looked to replicate Defour's feat on 70 minutes as he curled a free-kick just over the bar from an almost identical position to the opener, before Mkhitaryan steered a header well off target from Young's cross on the right 10 minutes later.

Just when it looked like Burnley would record a rare win at the Theatre of Dreams, Lingard popped up at the death to fire home from 16 yards out after Juan Mata's free-kick dropped at his feet.

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Dyche Can Lead Burnley to Europe - Jose Maurinho

Jose Maurinho at it again with a mind game on Dyche,zali Burnley Manager, The clarets are seventh on the log behind Arsenal and Tottenham despite losing 3-0 to the latter last weekend, but Mourinho lauded their no-nonsense approach.

"If survival was the objective, I think the objective is in the pocket, it's totally under control," Mourinho told Sky Sports News.

"If the objective is to finish top 10, they will do it. If the objective is to fight for European positions, they are there so they have the right to fight, so it'll be a difficult opponent.

"If you compare what they are doing with the initial objectives, it's a very good season.

"They conceded three in the last one but before that they were really amazing so they defend very, very well.

"Everybody knows the way they play, if you expect them to play creative beautiful football, they don't do that.

"But if you talk about direct objective, pragmatic and play with their strength, I think they are very, very good."

Meanwhile, United are second only to their neighbours Manchester City in the Premier League standings, trailing Pep Guardiola’s side by 13 points but three ahead of third-placed Chelsea.

"They still look like a high-quality group of players to me," Dyche said of Mourinho's United side.

"I was there recently when they had to dig in and get a win against a Brighton side that played very well.

"The main thing I like about Jose Mourinho and the work he does with his players is they find different ways of winning.

"Man Utd, as much as the questions are coming in about their indifference, are still a very strong side. They are a very strong unit, very strong in talent and they certainly have a manager who understands the division."

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Diego Costa Scores First Premiership Goal As Chelsea Edges Burnley

Chelsea started the season on a high as they outclass newly promoted Burnley with a resounding 3-1 thumping at Turf Moor. Burnley fans started dreaming of a shock win when Scott Arfield gave them  an early lead beating Thibaut Courtois in the 14th minute, but Chelsea respond is not deepen as they put a dampener on the Premier League newcomers' party.

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