Defensive duo fit to face Burnley but Edwards must manage ‘sore’ star

Tom Lockyer
Tom Lockyer. Photo by Liam Smith

Defenders Tom Lockyer and Reece Burke are both fit to face Burnley at Kenilworth Road tomorrow night despite being withdrawn in the victory at Everton on Saturday. 

Skipper Lockyer picked up a black eye which was closing up, while Burke was replaced at the break as a precaution over a groin issue, which has caused him to miss spells in the past. 

But both players trained today ahead of the Premier League clash with a Burnley side that Luton got promoted from the Championship with last term. 

Town boss Rob Edwards said: “We’re OK. We had a couple of knocks and were forced into couple of changes at the weekend. Both Burkey and Locks have come through today so that’s good news for us. They’ll be OK. 

“So no fresh injury worries from the weekend. The squad will be the squad from Saturday.”

On Burke’s situation, the manager said: “His groin was sore and he’s seen a few people over the last couple of days. He’s alright. It is going to be sore. It’s probably something we’ll just have to manage until next week and get through to the international break, then we can get a bit of work into him. 

“It’s just that groin area. He’s seen someone this morning. He’s OK, just a little bit sore. He trained today no problem so that was a big plus. 

“He’s been excellent. He’s a really good player and an important player for us. We’ve got to make sure we manage him because we don’t want to lose him for a period of time. 

“What he does is put every ounce into everything, every day. Sometimes I say, ‘Burkey, steady. Just chill out a little bit and manage yourself.’ 

“But I’d rather him do that and have to rein him in rather than having to give him a kick up the backside and get him working harder. 

“He’s just a really good pro and he’s an important player for us.”

Lockyer scored the opener at Goodison Park on Saturday, which meant he’s scored in all five top English divisions. 

His instinctive block on Everton’s goal line against Ashley Young was his fourth goal in 11 games in all competitions.

His previous four goals took Lockyer 119 games to accumulate and asked what he done to his skipper to make him more potent in opposition boxes, Edwards said: “I haven’t done anything. He’s just seeing it really well. He’s really aggressive in the box and seeing things really quickly. He’s got a bit of striker’s mindset going on when he goes up for things now and you can see how quickly he pounced on that the other day for his goal, it was brilliant. Almost anticipating where it was going to land and it was a brilliant goal. 

“He should’ve really had one against Fulham as well. It was a big, big chance for us, late on against Fulham which, by his high standards, he would’ve been disappointed with. 

“But it’s great. He’s a threat. We’re going to need goals from everywhere this year. I do think he’s going to be a reliable source and chip in with a few this year.”