Burnley manager Scott Parker has confirmed that midfield duo Josh Brownhill and Luca Koleosho remain injury doubts ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Southampton.
Midfield Duo Remain Sidelined
Both players missed Burnley’s 1-0 win over Oxford United in the FA Cup fourth round and were also absent for the previous fixture against Portsmouth. Brownhill sustained his injury during last week’s goalless draw with Leeds United, while Koleosho picked up a knock in training ahead of the Portsmouth match.
Speaking after Burnley’s victory over Oxford, Parker admitted the pair are still struggling for fitness.
“They’re still struggling,” he said. “Luca is not that long I don’t think, maybe a week or so. We’ll see how we go in the next week to see if he makes the weekend, but maybe it comes a bit early. It’s the same with Josh too.”
New Signing Shelvey Gets Minutes
One positive for Burnley was the debut of Jonjo Shelvey, who made his first appearance for the club after signing on a short-term deal in January. The experienced midfielder has been building up his fitness and was introduced as a substitute in the latter stages of Tuesday’s game.
“He’s still getting there,” Parker noted. “Obviously, he’s only been with us for three weeks or so, but he’s getting there for sure.”
“You see his quality in training and what he possesses. He’ll be key for us this year, or for the remaining part of this season.”
Further Injury Concerns
Burnley still have several players on the sidelines, including Jordan Beyer, Aaron Ramsey, Nathan Redmond, and Mike Tresor, all of whom remain unavailable.
Winger Enock Agyei, however, took a step closer to full fitness by playing 45 minutes for Burnley’s Under-21 side against Reading on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, deadline-day signing Marcus Edwards was an unused substitute against Oxford and is still building match sharpness, having not featured for Sporting CP since November.
Writer’s View
Parker’s injury concerns continue to mount at a crucial stage of the season, with key players facing a race against time to be fit. Brownhill and Koleosho’s availability for the Southampton clash could be pivotal, while Shelvey’s return to full fitness will be a boost for the midfield. With several absentees, Burnley will need to manage their squad carefully in the coming weeks.
