BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche has bemoaned the number of injuries his squad has had to contend with this season, adding that the Clarets have only had '16 to 17 fit players every week'.

The squad have been playing since July, thanks to the Europa League qualifying rounds, Dyche added how the players have looked beyond this.

Burnley have taken 24 points in the Premier League since the turn of the year, this is a run that has seen them go from being in the bottom three to currently sitting in 14th place.

“You get near the line and think ‘my goodness, is it just going to start going against us?’ and it didn’t.

“We have roughly had virtually, every week since the Europa League started, about 16 to 17 players fit.

“We have been very unfortunate with injuries, but the players have looked beyond that and keep performing.

“They keep challenging themselves and they keep working.

Dyche has highlighted how proud he is of his players for what they have achieved and he wanted the squad to know of his pride.

“I did say at the beginning of the season that I was proud of everything they had achieved and continue to work to achieve, and I think when you are trying to turn things around, you need them to understand that there is still a great value that we put upon them as people and not just players.

“We respect them for what they have done for this club.

“That doesn’t waver, and we add in some better detail with performances, some players playing at the top of their game, some changes that I felt I had to make, and they have helped, and you sort of get back on track.

“But there is not a magic moment when it all just works.

“If football was that easy there would be loads of people doing my job.”