Burnley will play hosts to Arsenal on Sunday in what is essentially a dead rubber. The Clarets are safe from relegation but will look to end their Premier League campaign on a positive note by securing a win over the Gunners.
Steven Defour won’t feature as he continues his rehab following his calf surgery in March. He joins Aaron Lennon in Burnley’s list of absentees this weekend. Phil Bardsley missed out last weekend but is actually fit to feature if Dyche wants to call upon him.
It is still unclear whether James Tarkowski will feature or not after he missed training due to the birth of his child.
Defence
Ben Gibson is on standby to replace Tarkowski, should the 26-year-old remains unavailable this weekend. The English defender will partner Ben Mee at the heart of Burnley’s four-man backline. Mee scored an own goal in the defeat to Everton last weekend and will be hoping for an improved defensive display this time out.
Bardsley’s likely absence, despite being fit, means Matthew Lowton is set to retain his place in the right-back position. Charlie Taylor, on the other hand, could make way for Stephen Ward, who could be handed a farewell appearance at left-back.
Tom Heaton will keep his place in between the sticks for Burnley this weekend. However, it won’t be surprising to see Sean Dyche giving a rare start to either Joe Hart or Nick Pope, both of who are expected to leave the club in the summer.
Midfield
Ashley Westwood has become an integral part of Dyche’s system at Burnley. And the 29-year-old is a surefire starter in central midfield alongside Jack Cork. Both the players will be key in dealing with the technically superior midfielders of Arsenal.
Elsewhere, Jeff Hendrick is likely to retain his place in the wide-midfield role while Robbie Brady could be preferred to Dwight McNeil on the opposite flank.
Attack
The Burnley attack will be led by frontline attacker Ashley Barnes. The veteran striker is the club’s top scorer this season with 11 goals in 36 matches.
He might be partnered by Peter Crouch, who could be given a rare start this weekend, at the expense of Chris Wood. Crouch has featured in only five games for Burnley this season and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Arsenal on Sunday if handed a start.
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