Burnley have suffered a major blow as their English goalie Nick Pope has been sidelined after sustaining a serious shoulder injury during their UEFA Europa League draw at Aberdeen which ended in a 1-1 scoreline. The Clarets keeper suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury which could mean a lengthy spell on the sidelines awaits him.
The 26-year-old was forced to come off after a collision with Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove on the pitch. Pope was a part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad that took part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and earned his first international cap versus Costa Rica last month.
In the post-match interview, Burnley boss Sean Dyche shed some light on the injury and was quoted to have said, “Nick has gone to the hospital and it certainly looks more serious than not serious at this stage,”
“It was a bit of a needless challenge.
“When he responds to stop the ball going in I think the lad has caught his arm and knocked it back, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The Clarets have currently got just two fit senior goalkeepers in their squad in the form of Anders Lindegaard and Adam Legzdins. Tom Heaton is still nursing back from his calf injury and is also not available for selection. It is expected that Lindegaard will take up the goalkeeping duties at Turf Moor for the return leg against the Dons next week.
The Lancashire outfit had a brilliant campaign last term when they managed to claim a 7th placed finish in the English top tier. Dyche should now focus on strengthening his squad before the transfer window slams shut so that he has a strong squad capable of competing on all fronts next term.
The injury to Pope will be a big blow for them as they look to gain a positive result against Aberdeen in the second leg at the Turf Moor. The English top-flight is also set to kick off in a few weeks time so if Lindegaard fails to cut the mustard between the sticks, then the Clarets should look to snap up another goalkeeper before the transfer window closes next month.
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Dyche’s men need a victory at home if they are to ensure qualification in Europe but it won’t be an easy feat without Pope protecting their goal. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of the English keeper and whether Burnley can cope without his services for the time being.
