Hoping to put an end to a three-game winless run in the Championship, Burnley will welcome Blackpool to Turf Moor on Saturday in the fifth round of league fixtures in the new season.

The Clarets played out a 1-1 draw with Hull City on Tuesday, after a defeat to Watford, while their visitors make the trip on the back of a midweek win away at Queens Park Rangers.

Match preview

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In their attempt to make an immediate return to the Premier League under the new management of Vincent Kompany, Burnley made a winning start to the Championship season, beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 away from home thanks to Ian Maatsen's goal.

They were then only able to take a point from a 1-1 draw at home to Luton Town thanks to Josh Brownhill's equaliser, before falling to a first defeat of the season as Tom Cleverley hit the only goal of the game in their trip to fellow relegated outfit Watford.

Hoping to bounce back from that loss, Kompany's men hosted Hull City on Tuesday, and they went behind for the third game in a row, as Ozan Tufan opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute.

It only took nine minutes for the Clarets to draw level through Jay Rodriguez, but they were unable to find a winner in the second half and came away with another point at home.

Now hoping to return to winning ways having picked up just two points from their last three outings, the Clarets will aim for a first victory of the season at Turf Moor on Saturday when Blackpool make the short trip East.

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The Tangerines also experienced a managerial change over the summer, as Michael Appleton replaced promotion-winning manager Neil Critchley, and they were able to make a winning start as Callum Connolly hit the only goal in a 1-0 home victory over Reading in the curtain-raiser.

They were unable to build on that with a second win straight away, though, losing 2-0 away at Stoke City in the following encounter before dropping out of the EFL Cup following a penalty shootout defeat to Barrow.

Keen to bounce back to winning ways, Blackpool returned to Championship action at the weekend but again fell short in their home game against Swansea City as Olivier Ntcham hit the only goal of the game for the visitors in the dying minutes.

The Tangerines were able to bounce back and post a second three-point haul of the campaign last time out, though, picking up a 1-0 away victory of their own at Queens Park Rangers thanks to Josh Bowler's goal on the stroke of half time.

Now facing the tough test of a trip to a Burnley side looking to establish themselves in the leading pack, Appleton's men will hope to take an impressive scalp and return to Bloomfield Road with what would be a second away win of the week.

Team News

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Burnley still have several injuries to contend with, as new attacker Scott Twine has recently joined Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Ashley Westwood in the treatment room.

Jay Rodriguez should again be preferred over Ashley Barnes up front after his goal against Hull, while there is plenty of competition for places on the wings with the likes of Dara Costelloe and Southampton loanee Nathan Tella pushing to come in after Vitinho and Samuel Bastien were preferred last time out.

Further back, Josh Cullen has made himself a key man in midfield after following Kompany from Anderlecht, and he should again join Jack Cork and Josh Brownhill in the engine room with Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Charlie Taylor set to partner up at the heart of the back four.

Appleton also has plenty of enforced absences to deal with, as the likes of Charlie Patino, Keshi Anderson, Kevin Stewart and Jake Beesley all sidelined alongside star forward Gary Madine.

Without Madine and Beesley, there is a spot in the front three available alongside regulars Jerry Yates and Josh Bowler, and Theo Corbeanu and Shayne Lavery will both battle to start on the left-hand side.

Meanwhile, Sonny Carey should come in in place of Arsenal loanee Patino, who was forced off in the win over QPR, with Lewis Fiorini and Kenneth Dougall set to keep their places.

Burnley possible starting lineup:
Muric; Roberts, Harwood-Bellis, Taylor, Maatsen; Brownhill, Cork, Cullen; Bastien, Rodriguez, Costelloe

Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Grimshaw; Connolly, Ekpiteta, Williams, Thompson; Dougall, Carey, Fiorini; Bowler, Yates, Lavery

We say: Burnley 2-1 Blackpool

While Burnley are yet to establish their dominance in the Championship under Kompany's new style and Blackpool will travel with confidence after an impressive away win in midweek, we still fancy the hosts to take all three points.

The Clarets should have slightly too much for their visitors, particularly with Appleton dealing with a depleted squad.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Sam Varley

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