Burnley striker Ashley Barnes to see a specialist over groin injury

Ashley Barnes will see a specialist on Friday to try and get to the bottom of a problematic groin injury.
Burnley's Ashley Barnes shoots under pressure from Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings and Neil Taylor

Photographer Rich Linley/CameraSport

The Premier League - Burnley v Aston Villa - Wednesday 1st January 2020 - Turf Moor - Burnley

World Copyright © 2020 CameraSport. All rights reserved. 43 Linden Ave. Countesthorpe. Leicester. England. LE8 5PG - Tel: +44 (0) 116 277 4147 - admin@camerasport.com - www.camerasport.comBurnley's Ashley Barnes shoots under pressure from Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings and Neil Taylor

Photographer Rich Linley/CameraSport

The Premier League - Burnley v Aston Villa - Wednesday 1st January 2020 - Turf Moor - Burnley

World Copyright © 2020 CameraSport. All rights reserved. 43 Linden Ave. Countesthorpe. Leicester. England. LE8 5PG - Tel: +44 (0) 116 277 4147 - admin@camerasport.com - www.camerasport.com
Burnley's Ashley Barnes shoots under pressure from Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings and Neil Taylor Photographer Rich Linley/CameraSport The Premier League - Burnley v Aston Villa - Wednesday 1st January 2020 - Turf Moor - Burnley World Copyright © 2020 CameraSport. All rights reserved. 43 Linden Ave. Countesthorpe. Leicester. England. LE8 5PG - Tel: +44 (0) 116 277 4147 - [email protected] - www.camerasport.com

The six-goal striker was rested at Spurs last month – a third game in a week – and was on the bench at Everton on Boxing Day.

Barnes sat out the FA Cup win over Peterborough United on Saturday altogether, and he is unlikely to be involved at Chelsea tomorrow.

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Boss Sean Dyche said: “We’re getting more information on it on Friday, when he sees a specialist.

“He could figure at Chelsea, but it’s unlikely.

“He had a few general issues but was getting through games, working through it, but it’s an overuse injury, and it’s just taken it’s toll.

“So we’re going to get another opinion, and see if we can get to the bottom of it.”

Wideman Johann Berg Gudmundsson won’t make the trip to Stamford Bridge, after suffering another hamstring injury on Saturday, on his first start since October.

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But the problem isn’t as bad as the one which ruled him out for a couple of months: “Johann won’t be fit for the weekend.

“It’s a straight-forward hamstring injury, nothing too bad, but he still won’t be involved.

“It has to settle down, but it’s nothing like the previous injury, so that’s good news at least.”

Dwight McNeil is expected to shake off an unspecified knock, while Chris Wood, taken off in the cup as a precaution with a tight hamstring, should also be fine – Dyche saying: “We’ve looked after him this week.”

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Ben Gibson has had a full week’s training, and is fit after a recent groin problem, but Dyche said: “He could do with a game to get his eye back in.”

With three weeks until the transfer window closes, Dyche still doesn’t expect to see any incomings or outgoings.

He admitted: “There have been a lot of phone calls made, and we are keeping our ear to the ground , but we will have to sit tight to see what becomes available, and whether the finance is then available.”

As regards outgoings, Jay Rodriguez is the latest to be linked with a move away from Turf Moor, with Aston Villa believed to be interested in the striker.

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That speculation was met with incredulity by sources on Wednesday, and Dyche said yesterday morning: “There has been nothing come to me, certainly nothing of any substance.

“We’re trying to improve the strength of the squad, so I wouldn’t expect any to go out, not unless someone comes in with a haymaker we can’t turn down.

“But the Jay link is news to me.

“Some of the links seem to get more extravagant every year.”