Burnley have suffered a major blow with winger Luca Koleosho set to miss most of the Premier League season with the knee injury he suffered in Tuesday’s defeat at Wolves.
Koleosho was substituted in the first half of Burnley’s 1-0 defeat at Molineux, having appeared to be in discomfort following a collision with Hugo Bueno near the touchline.
The 19-year-old, who was born in the United States but is capped by Italy up to under-21 level, initially attempted to carry on but was replaced by Johann Berg Gudmundsson just a few minutes later.
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The winger has been a standout performer for Burnley this season, producing a series of lively displays on the left flank since arriving from Espanyol in July, but boss Vincent Kompany has revealed he may not return to action until the latter stages of the campaign.
Speaking at a press conference to preview Saturday’s trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, Kompany said: “It’s bad news for us, Luca will be out for a while.
“We’ll do everything we can so that he can get back healthy and ready to go again. In a collision he did something to his knee.
“I’d like to think he’ll play again this season, but it may be towards the end of the season.
“Past the fact that it’s a blow for a young player, I still think it’s a chance for someone else to step up and wear the shirt in the way Luca has done.
“With him being young, if you keep calm in these moments, you can get better and stronger. I have no doubt he’ll come back stronger.”
Kompany Eyes Seagulls Away Test | PRESS | Brighton & Hove Albion v Burnley https://t.co/tpfLTILFxN
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Koleosho’s absence comes as a further blow for a Clarets side already without first-choice striker Lyle Foster, who has been receiving care following the recurrence of a mental health issue.
Kompany provided a positive update on Foster’s recovery on Thursday, though there is still no return date in mind for the South African.
“Lyle is making good progress, we’ve spoken about two names where the details, the fine margins, count,” Kompany said.
“We will recover both players and when they’re ready to go again we’ll benefit from them being Burnley players.
“He’s getting good care, he’s in a better place than he was four weeks ago, I’m hopeful it won’t be too long before he can come and help out again.”
