BURNLEY could be without record signing Chris Wood for the trip to Southampton in November due to a World Cup play-off.
The 25-year-old helped New Zealand to overcome the Solomon Islands in the Oceania play-off last week, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-1 first leg win before being rested for the 2-2 draw in Honiara in the second leg.
That was enough to send the All Whites through to the Intercontinental play-off in November, against the side who finish fifth in South American qualifying, with the winners making it to Russia for the World Cup next summer.
But reports have suggested the first leg of the play-off could take place on Monday, November 6, in Wellington, earlier than most international fixtures take place during the break but within FIFA's international window for November. Discussions are still taking place over the date for the first leg and the fixture has not yet been confirmed.
With FIFA rules stating players must be released four days before a qualifying fixture that will mean the Clarets would lose Wood on November 2 at the latest and he would be unavailable for the trip to St Mary's on November 4.
The first leg of the play-off could be scheduled early on in the international break to give players the chance of a rest given the travelling involved before the second leg, which will take place on Tuesday, November 16.
With two games to go in CONMEBOL qualifying Argentina currently sit fifth, with Chile just a place and a point behind them.
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