Ekdal & Benson: Burnley’s injury state of play as five players expected to miss out against Arsenal

Burnley’s chances of beating Arsenal tomorrow could be boosted by the return of Hjalmar Ekdal.
The defender hasn’t played since the Carabao Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest, which remains his only appearance of the season.

However, the 25-year-old made his Under-21s debut last week against Sheffield United after recovering from a knee injury.

He wasn’t the only Claret to make a comeback; winger Manuel Benson also saw action for the first time since the end of September.

 

Vincent Kompany - Burnley

 

“That was good for us,” Kompany said.

“We just lost a few players to freak injuries, which seems to be a theme anywhere this year because a lot of squads are decimated by injuries. Whether we look into it much deeper, maybe sometime later but it feels that way anyway.

“But for us, it’s been good to slowly recover them.”

When asked if the duo is close to returning to the first team, Kompany said, “I’m not sure if Benny is in contention yet.” Ekdal? We’ll see how he responds to training sessions this week.”

Burnley will also be boosted by the return of Josh Cullen, who was suspended for last week’s 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace.

 

Josh Cullen opens up on Burnley title triumph, awards & Ireland's upcoming  qualifiers
Josh Cullen

 

Aaron Ramsey is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, while Michael Obafemi is still recovering from a long-term hamstring injury.

Arijanet Muric is also unavailable because he has been called up to the Kosovan squad for their rescheduled Euro 2024 qualifier against Israel on Sunday.

Lyle Foster is also unavailable because he is receiving mental health treatment.

Martin Odegaard is a doubt for Arsenal after missing the midweek Champions League win over Sevilla.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Eddie Nketiah are also question marks, while Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, and Gabriel Jesus are out.

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