Vincent Kompany discusses Burnley’s striker dilemma ahead of Man Utd test as Lyle Foster misses out
The South African striker will be missing for the next three games, starting with tonight’s clash against Manchester United, after being shown a straight red for violent conduct during Burnley’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Monday night.
With Michael Obafemi also sidelined with a hamstring injury, that leaves Jay Rodriguez and Zeki Amdouni, who is normally deployed in a number 10 role, as the only realistic options in that area of the pitch.
But Kompany isn’t overly concerned and believes his squad has the flexibility to adapt and cope for the week ahead, with games against Salford City in the cup and Newcastle United also on the horizon.
“I wouldn’t say we’re short on strikers,” he insisted.
“We’ve got Jay Rodriguez there, we’ve got Zeki Amdouni who has played equally as many games as a number nine than as a 10 and we’ve got a lot of players that can move in between positions like Jacob Bruun Larsen, who can play as a striker as well, so it’s not a concern at all.”
On the subject of Obafemi, the 23-year-old remains some way away from making his return after undergoing surgery during the summer.
The striker was forced to go under the knife after suffering a serious hamstring injury while away on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.
“He’s doing good,” Kompany said. “But if you ask me next month he’s still not going to be ready.”
