Sean Dyche fears Burnley’s win over Wolves may have come at a cost with Dwight McNeil and Robbie Brady taken off with injuries on Monday night.
Goals from Ashley Barnes – his first in over a year – and Chris Wood gave the Clarets a 2-1 Premier League victory to make it eight points from four games, a resurgence that Dyche attributed in part to having players back fit and ready.
But there may have been a setback on that front with Brady feeling a hamstring problem and McNeil suffering from a tight groin, with both substituted in the second half.
McNeil was making his 70th-successive Premier League appearance for Burnley, a sign of how important the 21-year-old has become since breaking into the side two years ago, but that run could come to an end at Leeds on Sunday.
“Robbie we got off straight away, he felt a tweak in his hamstring which he had a couple of weeks ago,” Dyche said.
“Dwight said his groin was tight in the first half but that he would be fine to get through it – but in the end he had to come off.
“That is a little bit more worrying so we will have to wait and see. It is not ideal with Johann [Berg Gudmundsson] still recovering.
“We will just have to wait and see if they are ready.”
With Matej Vydra, Jack Cork and Berg Gudmundsson still recovering from injuries, options for Dyche remain limited should the pair be sidelined, though Dale Stephens returned to the bench on Monday night as an unused substitute.
The win – the first game in which Burnley had scored more than a single goal at home since February – continued an upward trend as Dyche’s side moved three points clear of the bottom three, though the manager was more concerned by performances than the standings.
“I don’t stare at the table, it’s the end of the season when it counts,” he said.
“Of course you know where you are, you want to be in a healthy position and we’re beginning to earn the right.
“I did say our squad has been stretched for a long time, and we’ve got players back fit, and I know there’s no guarantee, but it gives you a better chance.
“We’ve got key players and players who have done really well here fit, and truly match fit and we’re getting there.
“If you have your players fit and active, it gives you a better chance.”
For Wolves, defeat left them in the bottom half of the table after four defeats in seven.
After the match, Nuno Espirito Santo delivered a scathing attack on referee Lee Mason, distracting from bigger questions over their lack of attacking threat in the absence of Raul Jimenez.
But Nuno said he would take positives from the performances of his younger players, with Owen Otasowie making his full debut, while Fabio Silva’s late penalty made him Wolves’ youngest ever Premier League goalscorer at the age of 18 years and 155 days.
“I think (Otasowie) did well,” Nuno said. “He is a young player taking his first steps playing at a high level of competition and I think he handled himself well.
“There are plenty of aspects we have to improve but he has lots of talent.
“The positives from the game are that the young players are starting to grow and play in such a hard competition.
“This moment for Fabio was important that he gained a penalty and scored it – it’s good for his confidence.”
