Burnley boss Sean Dyche has been left confused by a number of niggling injury issues this season, as the Clarets prepare to face Everton.
Dyche will bring up his 200th Premier League game in charge of Burnley when they host Carlo Ancelotti's out-of-sorts team on Saturday.
The Clarets have managed just one win this season and slumped to a 5-0 reverse at Manchester City last time out, while Everton have lost four of their last five games after a fantastic start to the campaign.
Burnley have suffered a number of injuries already this term, and Dyche acknowledged it has left him scratching his head.
"We came out of that lockdown period really fit. The players had really looked after themselves, so I was surprised by that spate of injuries," Dyche told the club website. "We had the three-and-a-bit-weeks' break which I thought would bring back a clear-mindedness for all the players. It hasn't and we've had more and more injuries.
"The game schedule is peculiar, and we have had games all over the place. We have been in the Premier League long enough to know the games can be all over the place. We are still trying to define that, other than maybe it's just the way it is."
Everton are eighth, though a win at Turf Moor would see them move, temporarily at least, into the top four.
"The last two performances were quite good. Now it's important to stay attached to the top of the table and get a result. There's a lot of competition at the top but we want to be there," said Ancelotti, whose first game in charge last December was a 1-0 win over Burnley.
"We are really good offensively, we are not so good defensively. Every team is a test to see how we are and of course I hope we can be better on this aspect."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Burnley – Nick Pope
Having missed last week's dismal defeat at City, Pope is set to return on Saturday. The England international has made 27 saves across eight league appearances this term.
Everton – Allan
Everton were outran by Leeds at Goodison Park last week, but midfielder Allan put in a dynamic display reminiscent of his best performances at Napoli. No other Premier League player has won more tackles than the 29-year-old this season, with his tally of 19 level with Kyle Walker-Peters, of Southampton.
KEY OPTA FACTS
• Everton have never kept a clean sheet in their six Premier League away games against Burnley (W2 L4). Only at QPR (seven) have they played more games in the competition without recording a clean sheet.
• None of the 12 Premier League meetings between Burnley (five wins) and Everton (seven) have been drawn.
• No side has scored fewer Premier League goals than Burnley this season (4), while the Clarets have also attempted the fewest shots (83) and shots on target (24) in the competition so far.
• Burnley are looking to win consecutive Premier League home games for the first time since October 2019, the second win of which came against Everton.
• Dyche is the 35th different Premier League manager to reach the 200-game milestone. Only four of the previous 15 English managers to reach the milestone have won their 200th match (Alan Pardew, Roy Hodgson, Steve Bruce and Glenn Hoddle).
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored the opening goal in more different Premier League games than any other player this season (four).
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