Burnley FC player has only weeks to resurrect Turf Moor career | OneFootball

As Lyle Foster nears a return form injury, he has a matter of weeks to show why Burnley shouldn't sign another striker in January

With the January transfer window drawing ever nearer, and Burnley's struggles in front of goal remaining, it seems a near certainty that a striker will be at the top of Scott Parker's wish list.

It seems rather strange to say that when he has three to choose from when everyone's available, but with Lyle Foster sidelined through injury, and the remaining pair of Jay Rodriguez and Andreas Hountondji unfancied, it's hard to believe he won't dip into the market in January.

His two available strikers are so unfancied, in fact, that Parker has been using Zian Flemming as a makeshift number nine in Foster's absence, which most Burnley fans struggle to get their heads around.

That decision has almost certainly been to the detriment of the team, who are struggling on the pitch, largely due to the amount of square pegs in round holes in the final third, which has led to the goalshy Clarets failing to score from open play across their last four league outings.

January can't come soon enough for Parker to address that situation, but if the returning Foster can prove his worth beforehand, he may not have to.

Foster could have a matter of weeks to save his Burnley career

As January draws nearer, and Burnley still struggle for goals, Foster will be raring to get back into the team and prove to Parker that he doesn't need to go out and sign a striker in the coming weeks.

One small problem in that sense comes in the fact that Foster currently remains sidelined through injury, and although he was believed to be nearing a return prior to the international break, he has since suffered a minor setback.

That's another crushing blow to his chances of coming back into the side, as you feel that if Parker is able to bring in a striker of his choice, then he'd more than likely be the man who he used as his regular number nine.

That should serve as some additional motivation for Foster to get himself back fit and firing sooner rather than later, as he'll be all too aware that once he drops out of the team, it's likely to be difficult to get back in.

If he is to return as expected in the coming weeks, then he's not got much time to prove his worth to the team, but if he can prove in that time that he can be that player to put the ball in the net and link play, which is what Parker asks of a striker, then he could well resurrect his career.

Neither of those things Foster has particularly excelled at since moving to Burnley, with his goalscoring record decisively average, which his ability to drop in and link play certainly not one of his strong points.

Foster has found the going tough since moving to Burnley

Since Foster moved to Burnley in January 2023 for a hefty fee of nearly £7m, it's fair to say he hasn't lived up to expectations, flattering to deceive throughout most of his Turf Moor stint.

Signed by Vincent Kompany, who despite the ill regard Burnley fans hold him in, certainly has an eye for talent, so it does seem a little strange that his move just hasn't worked out.

At the start of last season's Premier League campaign, he did show some signs that his career was just getting started, but no sooner did it start, he was struck down by mental health struggles, which knocked his career for six.

He was never quite the same player when he returned, almost like he'd lost his edge while he'd been away, and he's picked up this season where he left off last, which is a little concerning given he's playing a level down this season.