Burnley strike first real problem of the season
Sitting high on the English Premier League table, Burnley have struck their first real bit of bad luck with influential wing Robbie Brady looking set to miss the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury.
Brady, 25, who has played in all of his club’s league fixtures, was injured in a collision with Leicester City defender Harry Maguire last weekend.
Play was stopped for several minutes before the Republic of Ireland international was carried off on a stretcher with Burnley manager Sean Dyche saying he had suffered a patellar tendon tear.
‘‘He will be out for a substantial recovery period,’’ added Dyche.
Burnley, who are sitting seventh on the league table after an excellent start to the season, have impressed most pundits in their effort although Dyche has regularly said their first priority was to avoid relegation.
*New Everton manager Sam Allardyce has already started to shape the make-up of his backroom staff with former club boss Joe Royle having left this week.
The 68-year-old, who also played for Everton, brought the Merseysiders their last trophy success with the 1995 FA Cup.
His decision comes just a week after Allardyce was named as the club’s new manager.
*Crystal Palace fans will be hoping they can continue to climb up the ladder so they’re not watching Championship football in their upgraded stadium.
Crystal Palace’s board this week unveiled plans to increase Selhurst Park’s capacity to more than 34,000 with a price tag of up to $195m.
The full revamp is expected to take three years to complete, and work could begin ‘‘within 12 months’’.
*The build-up to this weekend’s Manchester derby is starting to heat up in what promises to be one of the most entertaining matches of the season - on and off the pitch.
Given that it was not surprising to hear Amazon Prime, who have paid City close to $20m to make a fly on the wall documentary, requested if they could put cameras up in the away side’s dressing room.
Equally not surprising, then, that United turned them down.
United had already been inundated with requests for the game, including 23 from television rights holders.
The club felt the tunnel area would be too cramped already without trying to accommodate cameras from a company that is not one of the Premier League’s $20b broadcast partners.
*Chelsea manager Antonio Conte won’t exactly be pulling his hair out after he was fined $15,000 by the Football Association after he was sent to the stand during their match with Chelsea.
Conte was dismissed for disputing referee Neil Swarbrick’s decision not to award a corner in the first half.
He later apologised to Swarbrick but that did not stop the FA trying to set an example.
*Manchester United have offered 29-year-old playmaker Juan Mata to Inter Milan as part of a deal to bring in 24-year-old midfielder Joao Mario according to several reports across Europe.
*One of the biggest stories of the last transfer window has reignited after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said there are no guarantees that 25-year-old midfielder Philippe Coutinho will still be at Anfield after January.
Barcelona made three bids for the Brazil international in the summer. Weekend fixtures (UK time):Saturday, West Ham v Chelsea, Burnley v Watford, Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, Huddersfield v Brighton, Swansea v West Brom, Tottenham v Stoke, Newcastle v Leicester; Sunday, Southampton v Arsenal, Liverpool v Everton, Manchester United v Manchester City.