Burnley manager Sean Dyche has indicated that Robbie Brady could feature for the Clarets before the end of the season.
The Irish winger has yet to feature since the Premier League resumed last month due to a groin problem but he has been in the matchday squad for their last three games and Dyche hopes to give him some minutes between now and the end of July.
As per Lancashire Live, the 49-year-old said ahead of this evening’s clash against Wolves: “Robbie is fit and available but needs time so we will try and get him some minutes as well.”
Brady has endured some lengthy knee and hamstring injuries in his time at Burnley and the 2019/20 season has been a frustrating one for him, with only five Premier League starts and just a solitary minute of league action since New Year’s Day.
He has been unfortunate that injury to fellow winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson and the recent departures of Jeff Hendrick and Aaron Lennon have coincided with his own fitness problems, for otherwise he would almost have been given a few starts on the right of midfield.
Burnley’s options in that area have been so threadbare since lockdown that central midfielder Josh Brownwhill played on the right for three games last month while, more recently, left-back Erik Pieters has deputised in a right midfield role.
Gudmundsson has made a couple of substitute appearances recently, although Dyche is reluctant to rush him back too quickly and seems determined to manage his game-time over the coming days.
At the European Championships for Ireland four years ago, Brady showed how effective he can be, scoring a couple of goals at the tournament.
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While he has been unable to replicate such form in a stop-start Burnley career, Dyche’s update on the 28-year-old offers hope that the Turf Moor faithful will see him in action before the season ends and enable the manager to rest some of those who have been playing flat-out during the last hectic month since the Premier League restart.
Burnley fans, how big a boost will it be to have Brady back in the team? Comment below with your views!
