Burnley winger Luca Koleosho is set for an imminent return to availability after a short injury lay-off, according to Clarets boss Scott Parker.
20-year-old Koleosho had been out of the fold at Turf Moor since picking up a knock against fellow promotion hopefuls Leeds United in January, having not appeared in a matchday squad since then. With a key game this weekend against Sheffield Wednesday, Koleosho looks to finally be ready to return to the squad.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the match, Burnley manager Scott Parker said, “Injury wise we are on the right side of that, and people are coming back fit, the squad is in a good place, we go into this game as strong as we can be.
“He (Luca Koleosho) is back now, he has been training with us for the last week. Obviously, the long termers are still out…but we are really pleased with his (Aaron Ramsey) progression.”
Despite his return, the USA-born Italy youth international faces a fight on his hands for minutes. The likes of Lyle Foster and Jaidon Anthony have overtaken him in the pecking order, with new signing Marcus Edwards also an option in forward positions. However, with something not quite clicking in attack for Burnley, manager Scott Parker might fancy sticking Koleosho in immediately as his team look to find another level.
Burnley were one of the favourites for promotion this season and still stand a chance, though they are now part of the chasing pack rather than front-runners. They sit third in the league and have gained plaudits for their defensive prowess, conceding only nine in the league, but have been limited by their attacking struggles with only 39 goals scored.
Before his injury, Kolesho had struggled for form, recording only two goals and no assists this season. Burnley fans will hope this return sees an upturn in form for Koleosho and sparks more attacking success, having had a difficult season going forward. Ultimately, the hope is that Koleosho fulfils the potential he clearly has and, alongside others, helps Burnley to an instant return to the top flight.
Writer’s View
This is encouraging for Burnley, who have lacked something going forward, which has hindered their attempt for promotion. They now have plenty of depth, so have more scope to rotate and find solutions as the season enters its last stages. Though Koleosho struggled before his injury, he is a player with plenty of potential and could be key to Burnley’s promotion chase.
