SEAN Dyche left Robbie Brady out of Burnley's starting line-up at Anfield on Sunday because he felt the Clarets' record signing could make an impact off the bench.

Brady arrived for £13million from Norwich City on deadline day and after coming off the bench for his debut against Watford he had started three successive games on the left of midfield until Sunday's clash with Liverpool.

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Dyche said he spoke to Brady to explain his reasons behind the decision and he opted to go with the more familiar face of Scott Arfield for what was a daunting assignment on Merseyside, with the Canadian international used to the Clarets shape and system as he made his 167th appearance for the club in the 2-1 defeat.

Dyche revealed he had spoken to Brady about the decision before naming his team.

"I spoke to Robbie, he's still new to it, still picking up how we work, how the team shape works, so that was my decision on that one," Dyche explained.

"I felt he could affect it coming on."

Arfield's return to the side for Brady was one of three changes at Anfield, with Tom Heaton returning from illness and Ashley Barnes from suspension.

Burnley are continue to struggle with injuries with Johann Berg Gudmundsson struggling with a knee injury he suffered in the FA Cup defeat to Lincoln City, while Belgium midfielder Steven Defour is still searching for full fitness after returning to training from a hamstring strain he picked up in the win over Leicester City on January 31.

Dyche said Defour could come back into the reckoning for Saturday's trip to Sunderland, with the Clarets looking to extend a three-game unbeaten run against the Black Cats this weekend, but the clash in the north east will be too soon for winger Gudmundsson, with the 26-year-old starting just one Premier League game since November after a series of injuries.

Asked on the chances of Defour and Gudmundsson being fit for Saturday, Dyche said: "Not Johann, I don't think.

"Steven's got an outside chance, certainly to be considered. We'll have to see how the week goes, but not Johann."

One thing Burnley will be looking to improve on at the Stadium of Light is their concession of late goals in either half.

Liverpool's equaliser at the end of the first half on Sunday was the ninth time in the league this season that the Clarets had shipped a goal in the final minute of either the first or second half.

But Dyche insists the raw stats don't explain the bigger picture, with some of the goals, including Swansea's winner and Arsenal's crucial late strikes at the Emirates and Turf Moor, coming from controversial decisions.

"I don't think you can focus on that, you could easily say we had one at Swansea that was a clear foul, off-side against Arsenal, one early season, another referee's decision, so you can't just look at that stats, you have to look at the details in the stats," the Clarets chief said.

"It's a simple cross into the box (for Liverpool's goal), it's not a worldie cross, he goes for a first-time finish, and it breaks for him. Sometimes that happens."