Burnley boss Sean Dyche to miss Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Huddersfield

Posted Friday, January 07, 2022 by PA

Burnley boss Sean Dyche will be absent for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round clash with Huddersfield at Turf Moor as he isolates after testing positive for coronavirus.

In addition, Clarets assistant manager Ian Woan, overseeing things while Dyche is away, on Thursday said he believed there were four new positive cases within the playing staff.

A pair who had already been missing after positive tests are goalkeeper Nick Pope and midfielder Josh Brownhill – while Pope had not returned to training on Thursday, Brownhill was described by Woan as a “possibility” for Saturday’s tie.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson is a doubt due to an injury sustained in Sunday’s 3-1 Premier League loss at Leeds, and Maxwel Cornet (Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast), Ashley Barnes (injury) and Connor Roberts (non-coronavirus-related infection) are all definitely unavailable.

Huddersfield have Aaron Rowe ruled out due to a positive Covid-19 test.

But boss Carlos Corberan is set to be back in the dugout after missing the 0-0 Championship draw at Blackburn on January 2 for the same reason.

There could be returns to action for skipper Jonathan Hogg and Naby Sarr, who have been recovering from knee and back issues respectively.

It remains to be seen if there is any involvement for Danny Ward after he went off only 15 minutes into the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on December 30 after complaining of breathing problems and feeling unwell, then missed the Blackburn game.