Premier League action continues this weekend and tomorrow, Burnley are scheduled to host Norwich City at Turf Moor in their next league fixture.
Owing to a late goal by Jeff Hendrick, the Clarets managed to secure a point against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend at the Amex Stadium.
There is plenty of room for improvement for Sean Dyche’s side and it will be not easy for them to tame the Canaries who are on a high following their 3-2 win over Manchester City on Saturday.
With both sides going into the match expecting all 3 points, this fixture could turn out to be an entertaining one.
Burnley Team News
Johann Berg Gudmundsson is back in training following a calf problem. However, his inclusion in the squad this weekend seems unlikely at the moment and at best, a bench role can be expected.
Danny Drinkwater remains out.
Predicted Burnley Lineup Vs Norwich City (4-4-2)
Defence
Nick Pope is likely to be stationed between the sticks as usual. The English international is in a brilliant touch of form at the moment and it will be a no-brainer from Dyche to persist with him.
Ben Mee and James Tarkowski are expected to continue in central defence in the Burnley lineup. Having made 5 starts in the league, Tarkowski has mustered 2.4 tackles, 4.4 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per game on an average.
Matthew Lowton and Erik Pieters could be summoned once again to operate as the full-backs. They must cater to their defensive duties meticulously and get forward to keep the pressure on the Norwich fullbacks.
Midfield
Ashley Westwood and Jack Cork could be called into action in the central midfield. Cork was resilient against the Seagulls at the weekend where he garnered 3 tackles and also won 2 aerial duels.
Dwight McNeil and Aaron Lennon could get the green light to start from the wide areas in the Burnley lineup. The duo has to stretch the backline of Farke’s side and keep the full-backs of the opposition at bay with their crossing expected to come in handy.
The latter hasn’t quite grasped the opportunity in Gudmundsson’s absence but might be afforded one more chance. Jeff Hendrick is a solid alternative.
Attack
Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood are set to start up front once again. Barnes has been in smashing form so far in the ongoing campaign, having plundered 4 goals from 5 league appearances.
Wood, meanwhile, hasn’t been able to find the back of the net yet. However, his presence gives Burnley aerial dominance and his link-up play is exemplary, which is why it is likely that Dyche will stick to him this weekend even though the pressure is certainly building on the target-man.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored