Burnley will begin their Premier League campaign at Turf Moor against Southampton in their opening Premier League fixture on Saturday.
The Clarets finished fifteenth in the league standings last season, which was disappointing compared the season before as they finished inside the top ten.
Sean Dyche’s side will definitely look for a better start this time, and a clash against Southampton won’t be easy.
It is worth noting that Burnley acquired the services of Erik Pieters, Danny Drinkwater, Jay Rodriguez, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, and Ryan Cooney in the summer.
Considering the resources they have now, they seem a well-balanced side, and it will be really intriguing to see how they fare this season.
Burnley team news
Dyche has admitted that Robbie Brady will miss the start of the season owing to a rib injury, which he had sustained against Parma in Burnley’s final pre-season game.
Although Steven Defour will also be unavailable due to his long-standing calf injury, James Tarkowski and Kevin Long are both fit to feature this weekend.
Nick Pope and Ben Gibson proved their fitness after playing against Parma, and should be available for selection on Saturday.
Predicted Burnley lineup vs Southampton (4-4-2)
Defence
Peacock-Farrell will push Nick Pope this summer, but we expect the latter to start in goal regularly this season, unless he has a bad run of form.
Ben Mee and Gibson might start in the central defence. Tarkowski is available, but it remains to be seen if he is 100% injury-free.
Charlie Taylor and Matthew Lowton are likely to start as the full-backs. The two are good going forward, but will have to keep an eye on the quick Southampton wide players.
Midfield
Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood might make the starting lineup and feature in central midfield to dictate the tempo of the game. They are astute defensively, and have the ability to create chances as well.
Dwight McNeil and Aaron Lennon would look to put pressure on Southampton’s backline from the wide areas with their crosses, and stretch the opposition defence with their pace.
Attack
Rodriguez’s arrival from West Brom has added more depth and firepower to the Clarets’ attack.
However, Dyche is expected to operate with the duo of Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes as they have a good understanding together and will be a handful for the Southampton defence.
