Lancashire

Image source, Rex Features

Burnley are having a "really good start to the season", according to BBC Radio Lancashire commentator Scott Reid.

The Clarets are fourth in the Championship table, four points outside the automatic promotion spots and have lost just once in their last 12 games, amid considerable squad turnover following Premier League relegation.

"I say that because of the challenges Scott Parker has had," Reid told BBC Radio Bristol's Sound of the City show ahead of the Clarets' visit to Ashton Gate on Saturday.

"The squad he has got now is not the squad he had when the season started. They've had 17 players leaving and 16 players arriving, so they've had a huge turnover of players since Parker came in.

"I think when you factor in that he's basically having to piece together a new team and try and get results, it represents a really good start by him."

Wilson Odobert, Vitinho, Dara O’Shea, Wout Weghorst and Luke McNally are just some of the players who started the season at Turf Moor but left before the end of the summer transfer window.

But while Burnley's consistency has kept them in contention, they've been slightly held back by a lack of wins and goals; they rank 11th overall for goals scored (18) and their six draws is the joint-second highest in the division.

"Undoubtedly, they're not scoring anywhere near the volume of goals they would want and being as creative as Burnley fans would like them to be," Reid added.

"But they went to Luton on the opening day of the season and scored four times and the following game they scored five times, so you're thinking it's a free-scoring Burnley side, a bit like [Vincent] Kompany's Burnley side.

"But those two opening games of the season, what he's got now is not that squad.

"Those players have gone, so I think he's had to be just a little bit cautious, make them difficult to beat, make them organised, which is what they are.

"It's not been an easy watch at times but the Burnley supporters are hoping the groundwork is in place for them to be a little bit more open and attacking as the season progresses."

Listen to Scott Reid discussing Burnley on BBC Sounds here.

Image source, Getty Images

Hjalmar Ekdal and Nathan Redmond both featured for Burnley's under-21s on Friday lunchtime as the pair continue their recoveries from long-term injuries.

Defender Ekdal was stretchered off with a torn hamstring during Sweden's friendly defeat by Denmark in June and is yet to feature for Burnley's first team this season.

Redmond's last first-team appearance was in a 1-0 Premier League loss at Tottenham in January.

A training ground injury and subsequent surgery has kept the midfielder sidelined.

Burnley's under-21s beat Blackburn's youngsters 3-1 with Ekdal and Redmond playing the first 45 minutes before both were substituted.

Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

Two Preston North End players will be on international duty this weekend and for Ali McCann in particular there is a lot at stake.

The midfielder is part of the Northern Ireland squad who are top of their Nations League group in League C. Victories over Belarus and Luxembourg would guarantee promotion to League B.

Stefan Teitur Thordarson is away with Iceland who need just one point from their trip to Montenegro to be assured of avoiding automatic relegation from League B.

Forward Milutin Osmajic was left out of the Montenegro squad but warmed-up for his return from an eight match ban for biting an opponent by scoring five goals in a reserve team match this week.