Sean Dyche and his men will be looking to make the most of the new winter break introduced by the Premier League.
The Clarets winter break started after their draw against Arsenal and will end when they travel to Southampton for a 12:30 pm kick-off on Saturday.
Is a break what Burnley need?
Burnley are coming off the back of a strong set of league results with a win over Manchester United and Leicester as well as a draw at home to Arsenal. Therefore, the break could disrupt the momentum Burnley have created with their impressive results.
The players will be given a few days away from the training ground instead of going on a squad trip, which may affect their fitness.
The Benefits for Burnley.
The Claret’s squad fills a lot of demands that the fixture list requires and in a Burnley FC interview Dyche said: “A few days will definitely do them good.” The boss has used a very similar squad over recent games so a break would help these players rest and keeping them fresh, ready for the upcoming fixtures.
After a strong run of form against the big clubs, Burnley will look to use the time off to prepare for what are three very winnable games against the opposition in a similar league position to the Clarets.
Josh Brownhill, in particular, will be delighted to come in during a rest period. Brownhill only trained once with the squad before they played hosts to Arsenal and therefore can use the time to settle at Burnley before joining his new teammates for training properly ahead of the Southampton tie.
Many of Burnley’s premier league counterparts are heading on a trip away over the break, something Burnley couldn’t plan due to a potential FA Cup fourth round replay against Norwich.
With all the players and staff staying put the Clarets have an advantage over other clubs as they don’t have to deal with travelling or climatizing to another country.
Instead, the players can get along with their personal lives and spend time with their families, both are important for a player psychologically.
The Final Verdict
Overall the time off will be positive for Burnley who will use this time to recharge their batteries before continuing their league campaign. The fixtures over the next month are important for Dyche’s men, who will look to gain points against league rivals in order to push themselves further away from the relegation zone.