Friday 17 January 2020 13:57, UK
Ashley Barnes is to face a spell on the Burnley sidelines after having surgery on a persistent hernia issue on Friday morning.
The striker has been restricted by the problem for a number of weeks and was rested for the Clarets' game against Tottenham in December and also missed last Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.
And the 30-year-old, who has scored six times and played 19 games in the Premier League this term, will now undergo treatment on Friday to rectify the situation.
On the decision to have surgery, manager Sean Dyche said: "He'd been battling away with it, trying to get on with it. Really it was our decision as much as his.
"Barnesy puts up with a lot and gets on with it, but it was beginning to affect his performances. We spoke with him about it, he was very honest about it and we agreed it needed to be done."
The club have not given any indication how long the player will be out for but a normal time-frame would be two to four weeks, depending on the severity of the problem. Dyche however was reluctant to put a timetable on Barnes' return.
"There's different views now on hernias", said Dyche. "The surgery has advanced so much so we'll wait and see. As long as the procedure goes as planned he'll be wanting to be back fit as quick as he can."
Burnley have been boosted though by the return of two players - Jay Rodriguez and Robbie Brady - from illness and injury.
"Jay Rodriguez has got over illness", explained Dyche. "It was a real tough one for him - he lost about five pounds but he was over it last weekend so at least he's had a full week's training.
"Robbie Brady, who had a mixture of illness and a minor calf issue is back on the grass and had a good week."
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