Burnley have been handed an international break fitness boost, with an "outstanding" player returning to action.
Who is injured for Burnley?
The Clarets and Vincent Kompany have struggled so far this season in the Premier League, winning just one of their opening eight top-flight fixtures. A 4-1 defeat to Chelsea prior to the international break saw five Burnley players injured and missing.
Hjalmar Ekdal (knee), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (muscle), Manuel Benson (ankle), Michael Obafemi (thigh) and Nathan Redmond (undisclosed) all missed the loss at Turf Moor, whereas Darko Churlinov has been out long-term due to a health scare. The attacker was rushed to hospital back in June while on international duty with suspected blood poisoning, and when addressing the player’s condition in August, Kompany said:
“It’s really, really positive. We expected the worst in terms of being a long, long time off the pitch but his recovery has been close to miraculous. I can’t give you a time yet, but if it keeps evolving as it is now he’s going to come back to full fitness. Hopefully by the time you ask the same question next month I can change my answer.”
Burnley's recent results
Date
Burnley 1-4 Chelsea
October 7th
Luton 1-2 Burnley
October 3rd
Newcastle 2-0 Burnley
September 30th
Salford 0-4 Burnley
September 26th
Burnley 0-1 Man Utd
September 23rd
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Burnley
September 18th
Burnley 2-5 Tottenham
September 2nd
It now looks as if there has been a positive development regarding the player, with Matt Scrafton of The Burnley Express sharing an update on Churlinov’s fitness in the last 48 hours. He relayed news of his appearance for Macedonia over the weekend against Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier, playing the entirety of the second half.
It was Churlinov’s first appearance of any kind since turning out for Burnley in a draw with Reading last season, with this update seen as a boost for Kompany and the Clarets.
Who is Darko Churlinov?
Churlinov has played in a whopping 10 different positions during his career and arrived at Burnley last summer. However, things have been difficult for the 23-year-old, playing just 13 times in all competitions for the Clarets and failing to score or register an assist. (Darko Churlinov stats – Transfermarkt)
However, Kompany is clearly a fan of the versatile attacker, labelling him as “outstanding” after a deal went through last year.
"Darko is an attacking minded player with an outstanding work-rate and mentality within the game.”
Primarily a left-winger, Churlinov’s transfer value stands at €2.2m by Transfermarkt, dropping slightly recently as a result of his absence, and Kompany will be hoping he can get his career back on track with the Clarets, looking to rediscover his form for Schalke where he provided goals and assists in the 2. Bundesliga prior to joining Burnley.