“Entered undroppable form” – Has Burnley individual done enough to cement a starting XI spot? The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Arriving at Burnley during the January transfer windows from Djurgårdens IF, Hjalmar Ekdal has started four Championship games thus far.

The 24-year-old has made a strong start to life in Lancashire, helping his side to four clean sheets in what has been a difficult run of fixtures for the Clarets.

With Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jordan Beyer currently out injured, the young defender is seemingly taking full advantage and put in another strong display yesterday against Luton Town.

A defender who wins the majority of ground and aerials duels, who is also productive and brave with the ball at his feet, he has swiftly adapted to Vincent Kompany’s demands.

Three of our writers here at FLW have shared their thoughts on Ekdal and whether or not they think he can remain in the starting XI when the injured central defensive duo return…

Think you’re a hardcore Burnley fan? Try score 20/20 on this quiz all about the club

1 of 20

How many points did Burnley amass during their title-winning 2015/16 Championship campaign?

86 88 89 93

Billy Mulley

Ekdal has made an impressive start and his performance against two of the Championship’s most physical forwards in Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris shows exactly why Kompany fought hard to sign him.

The young defender has positioned himself very well to kick on and enjoy the rest of the campaign but the incredibly high levels of competition within the Burnley defence make it difficult to judge how the next couple of months will play out.

If Ekdal can continue this consistent level of high performance up until the pair return, he will have an excellent chance to remain in the starting XI.

However, Harwood-Bellis and Beyer have been fantastic and Kompany has certainly placed a lot of trust in the currently injured pair.

As things stand, Ekdal has entered undroppable form but he will need to maintain this standard of performance.

Toby Wilding

This feels like it will be a very tough call for Kompany to make when it comes to it.

Ekdal has enjoyed an excellent start to life at Burnley, with a string of impressive performances that have continued to push the Clarets on towards promotion back to the Premier League.

As a result, it would seem harsh for Ekdal to be dropped when the likes of Harwood-Bellis and Beyer return.

However, it is worth noting that those two players had also impressed prior to injury so could still do a similarly effective job when fit, and given they are both on loan, you wonder whether there may be requirements with regards to game time included in those deals, certainly with Harwood-Bellis and Manchester City.

This could therefore be a complicated situation, although the form Ekdal is producing suggests he would deserve to keep his place, and this is perhaps a reminder of the embarrassment of riches available to Kompany at Burnley right now.

Chris Gallagher

It will be tough but that’s exactly what Kompany will want.

The Clarets have picked up ten points from the four games he has played and they’ve kept three clean sheets in that period. Of course, it’s a team effort but it shows that he is doing a lot right and playing his part in what is a strong defensive unit.

When he was brought in it was seen as a smart move by Burnley as Ekdal isn’t some untried youngster. He was impressing in Sweden and has won caps for the national team, so he has pedigree.

Obviously, Beyer and Harwood-Bellis are excellent players as well but I think Kompany is the sort to keep you in the XI if you’re doing the job, so Ekdal will remain a starter if he continues to perform – which is how it should be.