ASHLEY Barnes is on track for a return to the side to face Spurs tomorrow, after Burnley boss Sean Dyche revealed his absence from the midweek starting XI against Manchester City was a tough call.

The Clarets striker has been hampered by a groin strain for a couple of weeks, but it had not stopped him from starting until Tuesday.

With three games in a week - two of them against the so-called ‘big six’ - Dyche felt the time was right to give Barnes a break in midweek and offer a better chance of having him available for Burnley’s first trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“With three-game weeks you’ve got to be careful, and there’s a lot more football coming after these games as well so it’s a tough call and players all want to play,” said the Clarets chief, who brought Barnes on as second half substitute in the 4-1 defeat to City.

“They’ve got a thirst and desire to play and sometimes they give you good feedback and it’s not that they don’t want to play but they’re not ready and sometimes they are desperate to play and you have to make decisions on them, which we did really with Barnsey on Tuesday. That was our decision as much as his.

“And that can be tough as well because you want to play the players you think are the most effective at any given time but it’s the work of a season not just a spell of games over one week.”

Ashley Westwood has missed the last two games - the first, against Crystal Palace, through suspension. The midfielder too has been struggling with a groin problem and is occupying the treatment table, along with a number of others, now including Kevin Long.

“Kevin Long has a hip injury, which is why he hasn’t been involved, and Westy (Ashley Westwood) has got a groin strain still. He’s touch and go so we’ll wait and see on that one.

“Chas (Charlie Taylor) has a hamstring (problem) and is doubtful for this weekend.

“Barnsey is still getting on with it but his groin’s a bit sore. It’s more an overuse situation and that’s why he didn’t play the other night, but he’s got a strong chance.

“Johann (Berg Gudmundsson) is making good progress and Bardo (Phil Beardsley) didn’t train today but we’ll just see how he is tomorrow.”

Dyche added: “It’s just unfortunate really that it’s a week of three games, and tough games of course as well. It’s just a bit unfortunate because generally this season we’ve been good with that side of things so I think hopefully it’s just one of those things that it’s all come together.”