TONIGHT’S pre-season friendly at Bolton will come too soon for returning Clarets striker Sam Vokes and new signing Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

Both players returned to training at Gawthorpe yesterday having been given an extended break following their Euro 2016 heroics with Wales and Iceland respectively.

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But they will not feature in Burnley’s fourth pre-season friendly of the summer at the Macron Stadium (8pm).

Vokes underwent tests yesterday to assess his fitness levels having been given two-and-a-half weeks off since Wales lost to Portugal in the European Championship semi-finals, but the Clarets have already got data on Gudmundsson’s fitness after he underwent a medical following his £2.5million move from Charlton a week ago.

Their absence could give some of Burnley’s younger players another chance to impress, with 18-year-old midfielder Aiden O’Neill featuring for a third time in pre-season at Bradford on Saturday, while winger Josh Ginnelly and striker Daniel Agyei made their first appearances, with Agyei having previously featured for Morecambe this summer.

“We’re exposing them to different experiences, which Morecambe was, but I’ve made it clear, we don’t push them out to places without thought, a lot of thought goes into it,” said Dyche.

“We want to expose them to first team football and know some good people in the game so we say ‘have a few days’, it’s good for our players and good for them as well.

“It’s part of their development, they need to experience going away, walking in a dressing room for the first time, different pros and mentalities.

“It’s good for their professional development.

“I don’t just look if they play well out on loan, that’s an added benefit, it proves they can handle different levels of football, but even it it doesn’t go as well, as long as they are learning, that’s the key, when you get into the first team with us, it’s not such a big shock then.

“You might have had a knock, you might have done well. But the young lads are showing some good signs, Aiden O’Neill as well, he’s experiencing a good first team experience.”