Sean Dyche was reluctant to discuss Burnley's latest spate of injuries but he insisted there is no disappointment at being unable to bolster his squad during the January transfer window.
Full-back Charlie Taylor, midfielders Josh Brownhill and Robbie Brady and strikers Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes would have been in contention to start against Manchester City on Wednesday but the quintet were all sidelined.
Dyche was coy about whether those players would be available to face Brighton on Saturday afternoon although he is hopeful none of them will be on the treatment table for a long spell.
"I'm not a superstitious fella but whenever I talk about it we seem to get more injuries, so I'm trying to be open-minded about the use of how I talk about it," the Burnley manager said.
"I don't think it's going to be long periods from now. The hardest thing at the moment is not throwing them back in and then re-injuring them. The game schedule has been tough but it's tough for everyone.
"The demands of the Premier League are there for all to see, we've got to keep going as we will do and whatever comes our way we'll put out a team that we believe can win."
Delaware-based investment firm ALK Capital completed its takeover of Burnley on New Year's Eve and despite plenty of speculation linking several players with a move to the club, nothing materialised.
"There's no disappointment, it's happened to me many times," he said. "It's the reality of being at Burnley Football Club, I'm used to the idea that sometimes we can't get players in or over the line.
"We'll see what the future brings but that's something I'm used to, so I've never been disappointed. I'm more focused on the players we've got, we've got some very good ones."
In the absence of several first-teamers, they lost 2-0 to City, who moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League and stretched their winning streak to 13 matches in all competitions.
Dyche, though, insists that with the season a little over halfway through, Pep Guardiola's side cannot take anything for granted.
"Whatever side you are, however much you spend, it's not easy to win titles," Dyche said. "There are a lot of myths about that but it's not easy. They're a top side but they still have work to do, they'll know that.
"There's no way in my mind that Pep Guardiola or any of those players think they'll just stroll through the rest of the Premier League, they're just not built like that.
"No chance are they naive enough to think because they're playing well, everything just works hand in glove, it doesn't work like that in football."
Dyche's press conference pre-City was notable for an offbeat conversation about lookalikes and the topic came up on a number of occasions as he previewed Brighton's visit to Turf Moor this weekend.
Dyche played down the suggestion he looks like Mick Hucknall, as was suggested earlier this week, likening himself to a former World Wrestling Entertainment star.
"One that I will give you is Stone Cold Steve Austin so I have to hold my hands up to that," Dyche added. "People have sent me a lot of that down the years so sometimes you've got to hold your hands up, I'll take that."
