Wood may face stint on injured list

New Zealand striker Chris Wood could be sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury in Burnley’s 2-1 English Premier League victory at Southampton yesterday.

Wood hobbled off in the 20th minute, and his replacement, Matej Vydra, scored his first Premier League goal in 17 months to move Burnley up to 10th.

Burnley play Bournemouth on Sunday and Newcastle the week after before tough back-to-back games against Tottenham and Manchester City, and they’re hoping Wood isn’t ruled out for an extended period.

“It’s a hamstring for Woody,” confirmed Burnley boss Sean Dyche. “We’ll wait and see. I don’t think it’s bad. We’re happy he got off quick and could feel it early.”

Wood had played a small part in giving Burnley the lead, winning a second-minute corner that Ashley Westwood swung in to the front post.

Southampton forward Danny Ings let it go, anticipating the ball would go out for a goal kick but it crept in before goalkeeper Alex McCarthy could stop it going over the line.

Elsewhere, another victory means that winning just five of their remaining 12 games will guarantee Liverpool the end of a 30-year title drought.

Sadio Mane produced the sole moment of quality as Liverpool fended off Storm Dennis and Norwich for a 1-0 win that sent the visitors 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League. The gap between the leaders and Manchester City is the same between last season’s champions and 16th-placed Bournemouth.

Mane climbed off the bench to net his 12th league goal of the campaign and extend Liverpool’s winning streak to 17 top-flight matches, and their unbeaten run to an astonishing 43 straight games.

Mane delivered with a lovely touch to control Jordan Henderson’s ball over the top and strike at the near post in the 78th minute.

It was a fine way for Mane to mark his first Liverpool action since hobbling out of a 2-1 victory at Wolverhampton on January 23.

“It was not easy,” Mane said after the game. “Everyone wants to play all the time. I worked hard and I came back. We are happy with [yesterday].”

The runaway leaders inched closer to a first title since 1990 by grinding out a nervy win, amid howling winds and driving rain.

“We knew it would be difficult coming here, even though they are bottom of the league,” Henderson said. “Overall, I thought it was a good performance.”

Manchester City, who received a two-year ban from European football over the weekend, play West Ham on Thursday.