Marney and Wells join Under-23s for Forest game
Burnley travel to the City Ground today to play Nottingham Forest in the Professional Development League with the significant news that two players will be making their first appearances of the season as they come back from injury.
Dean Marney was stretchered off at Arsenal on the last Saturday in January with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury, his second in just under two years. I’m not sure many expected him to be back in action so soon, but Sean Dyche confirmed he will play 45 minutes although he said: “It’s the end of the beginning, if you like. There’s no rush for him still.
“It’s an early fixture for him to just find his way a little bit. He’s got to build up those layers of game time. It’s good to see Deano back out there with us regularly, training with the first team, and his next step is this game coming up.”
He will be joined by Nahki Wells who will finally be able to make a Burnley debut following his transfer from Huddersfield on the final day of the transfer window. An earlier injury, some years ago, had necessitated him having a screw inserted into his foot and he’s recently had minor surgery to have it removed after struggling in pre-season with the newly promoted Terriers.
“Nahki was fit from last season, came into pre-season and needed this minor situation sorting out,” Dyche explained. It’s been careful as you go, but he’s been progressing nicely and going into more football style action with a game.”
While Marney will play no more than half of the game, Wells could play longer depending on how he feels as he gets his first competitive action since Huddersfield’s Championship play-off final at Wembley when they beat Reading on penalties with Wells scoring one of the spot kicks.
Having beaten Leeds on Monday, coach Michael Duff spoke about some of the advantages of now having a competitive games programme for the under-23 team and the option to help bring injured players back to fitness is another positive.
The league allows for three overage outfield players plus goalkeeper but we haven’t made too much use of that this season. Anders Lindegaard has played in each of the last two games while Fredrik Ulvestad has also featured. Marney and Wells will take two of those places tomorrow.
This game is not behind closed doors so any Burnley fans in the Nottingham area will be permitted to watch the game. Only the lower tier of the Brian Clough Stand is open and admission is free for the game which kicks off at 1:30 p.m.
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