Dyche to contemplate Drinkwater extension

Burnley manager Sean Dyche says he will mull over whether to try to extend Danny Drinkwater’s loan spell from Chelsea. Three-time capped England international Drinkwater joined the Clarets this summer on a loan deal until January 6 after falling down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and it was hoped the temporary stint in Lancashire would help to re-start his career.
However, the 29-year-old, who played a crucial part in Leicester City’s Premier League winning 2015/16 campaign, has only made one appearance for Burnley, that coming in the 3-1 EFL Cup defeat to Sunderland on August 28.
It was thought that outing against the Black Cats would see the midfielder move into contention for a first league match but two weeks later he was assaulted outside a nightclub in Manchester, sustaining an ankle injury.
Drinkwater has finally returned to training but, given how little football he has played over the last year and a half, it is still likely to be several weeks before he is considered for the first team, by which time his loan spell will nearly be over.
Although seeing very little of the former Manchester United youth player, Dyche has revealed he is deliberating whether or not to extend the loan beyond January.
He said: “We weren’t thinking it was going to transpire as it has done. That leaves it in a different place than it could have been if he’d been fit and well and either playing or figuring. We’ll figure that out as we go from here.”
Burnley are in action on Saturday when they make the trip to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United, who are on a three-game unbeaten run heading into the contest.
The Clarets have lost their last two games – going down 2-1 to Leicester and 4-2 against Chelsea – while they have not won a competitive fixture away from home since April 6.
Dyche’s men did win the last time these two teams met, running out 4-2 winners in the 2011 Championship encounter at Turf Moor.