Burnley boss Vincent Kompany felt his side paid a price for their 1-0 Carabao Cup win at Nottingham Forest after Hjalmar Ekdal sustained a serious-looking knee injury.

Substitute Zeki Amdouni volleyed home a last-minute winner to settle a largely forgettable tie and clinch Burnley a third-round clash at Salford.

But Vitinho, Aaron Ramsey and Ekdal were all forced off through injury, with the latter carried off on a stretcher following a second-half goalmouth scramble.

When asked about his players’ injuries, Kompany said: “One I think will be bad. It looked like it. I’ll take anything positive on that of course.

“In terms of Viti (Vitinho), we hope he’s not too bad. Certainly, it cost us a little bit this game.

“From what I’ve seen and watching the images, it looks knee for both (Vinho and Ekdal). There’s different degrees, it could just be a strain, but for Ekdal – we hope it’s not too bad. He was in a lot of pain.

“I really hope he’s not too bad, but there was a cost to this game for sure.”

Switzerland forward Amdouni, signed from Basel in July, was a 78th-minute replacement for Jay Rodriguez and fired home his first goal in English football in his third appearance for the Clarets.

“He’s got a real goal threat,” Kompany added. “I hope that’s one of many for him. That’s one exciting thing about our squad. I’m not saying in year one you’re going to be bursting the net every week.

“But in the future, potentially in our squad there’s a real goal threat. How long it will take I don’t know. Some guys are always dangerous on the pitch.”

Neither side created a scoring chance worthy of note before Amdouni’s late intervention and Forest boss Steve Cooper said his side “got what they deserved”.

He said: “We feel really short with our performance levels, both collectively and individually and certainly with the ball.

“I didn’t think we were going to concede a goal. The game had 0-0 written all over it. It wasn’t a great game obviously. Technically we were miles off it today.”

The introduction of Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White midway through the second half failed to spark Forest in to life.

Johnson has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham but Cooper insisted that was not why the Wales forward started on the bench.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation about him, but it’s not really affecting us at the moment and until we get told different we’ll deal with it and it’s business as usual,” he added.

Zeki Amdouni’s last-minute goal clinched Burnley a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest and sent his side into the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Switzerland forward, signed from Basel in July, stepped off the bench late in the second half and volleyed home from six yards to settle a largely forgettable tie between two Premier League rivals in the Clarets’ favour.

There was a minute’s applause before kick off for police officer Sergeant Graham Saville, the uncle of Forest defender Joe Worrall, who has died after being hit by a train last Thursday while trying to save a distressed man on railway tracks.

Worrall was suspended following his dismissal in Saturday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat at Manchester United, while Forest boss Steve Cooper made seven changes.

Argentina’s World Cup-winner Gonzalo Montiel, on loan from Sevilla, and Brazilian teenager Andrey Santos made their full debuts and Anthony Elanga made his first start for the club.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany made 10 changes from Sunday’s 3-1 home league defeat to Aston Villa, with Aaron Ramsey and Jacob Bruun Larsen making their first starts.

Neither side created a chance worthy of note until the 36th minute when Forest midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate blazed over after Chris Wood had intercepted a wayward back-pass.

Burnley, who had already lost Brazilian Vitinho to injury in a tepid first half, were forced to replace Ramsey and Hjalmar Ekdal early in the second.

Sweden defender Ekdal went down during a goalmouth scramble and needed lengthy treatment before being stretchered off the pitch and replaced by Josh Cullen.

Both Forest and Burnley tried to inject some urgency into their play, but Nathan Redmond’s shot veered off to the corner flag and Willy Bolly produced an air-shot with his shooting chance.

Forest skipper Ryan Yates lifted the home crowd when he headed Elanga’s cross inches wide.

But Amdouni, a 78th-minute replacement for Jay Rodriguez, volleyed home unmarked from Josh Brownhill’s headed flick-on to seal victory for the visitors.

Fellow substitute Wilson Odobert had a  golden chance to put the tie to bed moments later when he raced through on goal and although goalkeeper Matt Turner blocked his effort, Forest could not muster an equaliser.

The Aston Villa team bus was damaged after being attacked on the motorway following the side’s victory at Burnley on Sunday, police have confirmed.

A brick was thrown at the windscreen from a footbridge on the M65 in Lancashire as the Villa team began their journey home from Turf Moor.

Nobody was hurt but the matter is being investigated by Lancashire Police and Burnley have said they are “saddened and dismayed” by the incident.

Superintendent Melita Worswick, of Lancashire Police, said: “This incident occurred when a great deal of traffic was leaving the area following the football match between Burnley and Aston Villa.

“It is nothing but good fortune that the brick didn’t cause more damage, or result in somebody being seriously injured or even killed.

“We cannot say at this point whether this was a targeted attack but enquiries are ongoing and this will form part of our investigation.

“We are now determined to find the person or people responsible and are asking for anyone with information to get in touch.”

The incident is a further embarrassment for Burnley after Manchester City’s Rico Lewis was struck by an object thrown from the crowd in the season-opening match at Turf Moor earlier this month. Play was also halted briefly during that game due to a pitch invader.

A statement from the club read: “Burnley Football Club are saddened and dismayed to learn about an attack on the Aston Villa team bus at junction 10 of the M65 after today’s match.

“Having spoken with Villa we are relieved to hear nobody was hurt in the incident. We strongly condemn this behaviour and will support Lancashire Police in their efforts to find whoever was responsible.”

Promoted Burnley were beaten 3-1 by Villa in what was their second Premier League match of the campaign. They are yet to collect a point.

Unai Emery praised the versatility of Matty Cash after the Poland international’s first Aston Villa goals in over a year helped them to a 3-1 win at Burnley.

There was speculation Cash could be on his way out of Villa Park this summer, but the 26-year-old showed what an asset he can be with two goals in the opening 20 minutes of his 100th Villa appearance, twice threatening to make it a hat-trick.

Cash replaced Leon Bailey on the right wing in the only unenforced change to the Villa side that beat Hibernian 5-0 in the Europa Conference League play-off in midweek – Robin Olsen replaced the injured Emi Martinez in goal – and caught the eye with an energetic display.

“He’s versatile, he played before as a winger, he’s playing with us in a back four sometimes, sometimes lower, but we used him in pre-season playing higher, as a winger,” Emery said.

“He helped us a lot today defensively and offensively and then he used the moment to remember when he played more at Nottingham Forest as a winger. His two goals were a good example for us but we know he can be versatile.”

That versatility can be key for Villa at a time when injuries are limiting Emery’s options. The Spaniard named only eight players, two of them goalkeepers, on the bench, and admitted Villa could be active again before the transfer window closes.

“There are still four days to finish the transfer window and we have to be ready,” Emery said. “We have to be ready in case someone is leaving, in case we have a good opportunity to add another player with us.

“Always in my teams I was working and I am ready at the end if someone can come with us or someone can leave.”

Villa’s biggest move in the market so far has been the signing of Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £51million.

The France forward combined with Cash to create Villa’s second of the afternoon before his 61st-minute strike, his second Villa goal, settled it after Lyle Foster got Burnley back into the match.

“His adaptation is going fast but he needs this adaptation each match for him to know better his team mates and then where in our structure is his best position,” Emery said. “He is a player who is versatile as well.

“It’s very important for him and for the team, his capacity to assist, to score goals.”

Defeat leaves Burnley without a point after their opening two Premier League matches, both home defeats after the 3-0 loss to Manchester City a fortnight ago.

“Learning comes at a price in the Premier League,” manager Vincent Kompany said. “I didn’t think we started the game badly, we had moments, we just didn’t manage to get a real grip on the game and there was always the threat of Aston Villa counters.

“In the second half we built momentum, the goal helped us for that definitely, and just at the peak of that momentum we conceded the goal and that was a little bit the story of the game.”

Kompany handed a debut to Hannes Delcroix, meaning six of the starting XI were new signings this summer. The manager admitted there will be a bedding-in period.

“It’s a conscious choice,” he said. “You look at the bottom of the league and you find every flavour – teams that are settled and have not changed and teams that have changed.

“For us, we want to move forward. I’ve seen enough in our team to know that we make a game out of games. Every game there is something for us, and if that continues I believe we’ll have enough results.”

Matty Cash’s first Aston Villa goals in over a year inspired Unai Emery’s side to a 3-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Cash came into the side as the only unenforced change from Villa’s 5-0 midweek Europa Conference League play-off win over Hibernian, and ensured there was no European hangover for his side as he scored twice in the opening 20 minutes.

Lyle Foster gave Burnley hope with a powerful strike two minutes into the second half, but Moussa Diaby restored Villa’s two-goal advantage just after the hour as they ended a five-match winless league run on the road.

Burnley built their Sky Bet Championship title on the back of a 21-match unbeaten run at home, but have started life back in the Premier League with back-to-back defeats at Turf Moor.

Cash, playing in an advanced role on the right side of Villa’s midfield, needed only eight minutes to break the deadlock, sliding in to poke home Ollie Watkins’ cross after John McGinn’s lofted ball over the top had left Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford caught in two minds.

It was the Poland international’s first goal since the final day of the 2021-22 season and the drama of Manchester City’s title-winning come-from-behind win over Villa, but there would soon be another with Cash at the heart of a slick passing move.

Cutting in from the right to collect Watkins’ pass, Cash laid the ball off for Diaby on the right side of the box, then charged into the centre to lash home the resulting cross.

Burnley looked rusty after the postponement of last weekend’s trip to Luton left them with an enforced rest and were being overrun defensively as the chances kept coming.

Cash, brimming with confidence, tried a spectacular volley from Lucas Digne’s deep cross in the 35th minute, but Hannes Delcroix, making his Burnley debut after arriving in midweek from Anderlecht, got in a block to send it over the crossbar.

Cash again linked up with Diaby, whose deflected cross found Watkins, but Trafford was in the right place to deny him from point-blank range.

Burnley had done little to threaten the goal of Robin Olsen, making his first Premier League start since New Year’s Day with Emi Martinez sidelined by a calf strain, but things changed immediately at the start of the second half.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson, on as a substitute, headed a deep ball back into the box and Foster had the power to hold off Pau Torres, spinning to fire beyond Olsen.

Burnley were suddenly on top. Sander Berge sent in a cross begging for a touch, then Zeki Amdouni caused panic between Torres and Olsen.

More confusion between Olsen and Boubacar Kamara allowed Berge to run into the box, winning a corner from which Olsen did well to deny Delcroix a debut goal.

Having coped with the pressure, Villa hit Burnley on the break just after the hour. McGinn shrugged off a shirt pull from Ameen Al-Dakhil to play in Digne, who pulled the ball back for Diaby to find the bottom right corner – the goal surviving a VAR check for offside.

Watkins should have made it four in the 67th minute when he beat Delcroix to a low cross but Trafford again denied him from close range, holding smartly.

Nicolo Zaniolo replaced Diaby to make his Villa debut and almost scored with his first involvement, seeing his shot deflected wide, but the Italy international should have squared for the unmarked Watkins.

Cash, still fancying a hat-trick, shot narrowly wide with 10 minutes left while Zaniolo flashed a powerful effort just over.

Burnley substitute Jay Rodriguez twice threatened Olsen’s goal late on, but there was no way back for the hosts.

Rico Lewis says winning the treble once “isn’t good enough” as Manchester City look to repeat the feat and eye an unprecedented quadruple.

Pep Guardiola’s perennial Premier League champions added the FA Cup in June before beating Inter Milan to win the club’s first ever Champions League crown.

City joined Manchester United’s 1999 side as the only English teams in history to complete the treble, but there appears little chance of them stopping there.

Erling Haaland’s brace saw them open up their league campaign with a 3-0 win at promoted Burnley on Friday, after which teenage star Lewis outlined his ambitions.

“The objective is to win the treble again, to win the quadruple,” the homegrown 18-year-old talent said.

“You know, winning it once isn’t good enough, so we have to keep on going and try and win it again.”

You would not back against City winning the European crown on top of claiming the three main domestic trophies given their quality, cohesion and strength.

However, Guardiola’s men have already missed out on one piece of silverware this season having lost the Community Shield to Arsenal on penalties.

This week, though, offers another chance at a trophy as City seek to win the UEFA Super Cup for the first time against Sevilla in Athens.

“Obviously it’s a new competition for us,” Lewis said. “We’ve never won it, the club’s never won it, so, again, it’s another trophy that we want to go and win.

“It’s another competition and an important thing we need to go and take on.”

City make the trip buoyed by a solid start to the Premier League season, with Rodri adding to Haaland’s double on a night that also saw Lewis struck by an object.

Burnley quickly confirmed the individual responsible for the first-half incident had been identified, removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order.

“Obviously when you’re in the game you can’t really focus on that,” Lewis said. “But it was just something I had to deal with at the time.

“It’s just an incident that’s unfortunate it’s happened to me but, you know, it happens to a lot of players, which is not a good thing.

“But there’s nothing really much you can do about it. You’ve just got to ignore it and then it’ll get sorted at the end of the game.”

Another issue City’s players could not let distract them was the injury to skipper Kevin De Bruyne.

The 32-year-old has only recently returned from a hamstring issue and Guardiola says he faces weeks on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of the issue.

“Well, you know, injuries happen to everyone,” Lewis said. “Every team suffers with injuries and it’s something that you’ve just got to deal with.

“There’s enough quality in the squad where if someone gets injured someone can slot in and just carry on playing in the same way that the last person did.

“Obviously there’s going to be certain positions where we’ll be more hurt than others just because of squad depth, but it’s something that happens to everyone and everyone has to deal with it.”

While City return to action on Wednesday, the Clarets have an extended wait until they play again.

Next weekend’s trip to Luton was postponed due to ongoing stadium works at Kenilworth Road, meaning Vincent Kompany’s side are next in action at home to Aston Villa on August 27.

That fortnight will give promoted Burnley an invaluable opportunity to work with their new-look squad after showing signs of promise against City.

Summer signing Luca Koleosho, 18, said after making his debut: “I think we had our moments in the game but obviously we were playing against the best team in the world right now.

“So, I just think that every game we’re going to get better and just improve.

“The mentality is just to win, there’s 37 games (to go), it’s a long season but just take it one at a time and just go out there and try and win.”

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley.

City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second.

Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season.

Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.”

De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes.

Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle.

“We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position.

“He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.”

Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated.

He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2.

“A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.”

Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts.

The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance.

He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time.

“You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”

Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter.

Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled.

“We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.”

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley.

City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second.

Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season.

Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.”

De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes.

Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle.

“We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position.

“He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.”

Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated.

He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2.

“A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.”

Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts.

The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance.

He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time.

“You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”

Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter.

Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled.

“We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.”

Erling Haaland’s brilliant brace helped Manchester City kick off their quest for an unprecedented fourth straight top-flight title with victory at promoted Burnley.

Just two months on from winning the Champions League to become the second treble winners in English football history, Pep Guardiola’s men returned to competitive action with a bang at Turf Moor.

Star man Haaland’s excellent first-half double and a close-range Rodri effort did the damage as City ran out 3-0 winners in the Premier League curtain raiser at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

The 23-year-old frontman swept the visitors ahead 184 seconds into the new campaign and, with his side having lost skipper Kevin De Bruyne to injury, struck a stunning second off the underside of the bar.

That display was not enough to avoid being chided by Guardiola as the teams made their way off at half-time, with the City boss pushing away a TV camera as he berated the striker.

Rodri completed the scoring and Burnley substitute Anass Zaroury received a contentious late red card, with Community Shield runners-up City now turning their attention to Wednesday’s Super Cup clash against Sevilla.

Both sets of players took the knee before kick-off and initial boos were drowned out by cheers at Turf Moor, where the hosts were behind after just three minutes and four seconds.

De Bruyne took a short corner and, following a couple of passes, lifted a cross to the far post, where Rodri headed back across goal for Haaland to direct home impressively.

It was a gut punch that De Bruyne tried to add to from distance, but the champions of the Championship stuck to Kompany’s principles.

Burnley penalty appeals fell on deaf ears when Zeki Amdouni went down under pressure from Manuel Akanji before Luca Koleosho missed the target after fine, composed build-up.

Amdouni wriggled free to get a shot on Ederson’s goal as Burnley continued to threaten City, whose youngster Rico Lewis was hit by an object thrown from the stands.

The Lancashire club later confirmed the individual responsible had been identified and removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order.

Lewis was all right to continue, but De Bruyne soon had to leave the field.

The skipper recently returned from a hamstring injury and, seemingly out of nothing, signalled to the bench that he had felt something, leading to Mateo Kovacic’s introduction.

Burnley quickly attempted to capitalise. Amdouni was stopped by Rodri before the midfielder saw a pass cut out and Lyle Foster bent narrowly wide.

But the hosts’ hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Haaland scored an incredible second in the 36th minute.

Kyle Walker raced down the right and cut back to Julian Alvarez, who laid off for the Norwegian sharpshooter to sweep a first-time strike in off the underside of the bar.

Haaland may have been on course for a hat-trick, but something had upset Guardiola, who pulled him back and scolded him before pushing the away a camera.

The striker remained on as the visitors began the second half on top, with James Trafford – signed from City in the summer – tipping over a Rodri effort from distance and then saving a header from the Champions League final matchwinner.

Alvarez fired off target after a show of strength by Haaland before City struck a third in the 75th minute as the match appeared to be petering out.

Burnley failed to effectively clear a crossed free-kick and Rodri lashed home from five yards after Nathan Ake was blocked out.

Alvarez saw a shot blocked before Josko Gvardiol came on for his City debut, with Haaland booed by the Burnley faithful when withdrawn as part of a triple City change.

Guardiola made a point of getting up to give Haaland a warm greeting after their earlier exchange.

Stewards reacted quickly as a fan attempted to get on the pitch towards the end of a night that had seen Burnley impress against mightily tough opposition.

Things got worse for the promoted Clarets.

Substitute Zaroury was sent off in stoppage time after his tackle on Walker was judged serious foul play after referee Craig Pawson watched the incident back on the VAR’s instruction.

The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend with clubs still finalising their squads for the challenge ahead.

Champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal will resume battle with the Gunners’ having struck an early blow in the Community Shield, while newcomers Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton begin the task of ensuring their stay among the big boys is not fleeting.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the opening fixtures.

Harry Kane’s “will he, won’t he?” summer saga finally approached its conclusion on the eve of the new campaign as he headed for Germany with a view to tying up a £95million switch from Tottenham to Bayern Munich. The England skipper’s impending departure is likely to dismay fans of a club which drastically under-achieved in finishing eighth last season. Spurs open their campaign at Brentford on Sunday with the travelling supporters contemplating what life after Harry may represent.

If last season’s top three had a familiar look about it with Manchester United following their neighbours and Arsenal across the finishing line, there was a measure of turbulence below them as Newcastle disturbed the established order to push Liverpool out of the top four and Brighton claimed sixth spot with Aston Villa hot on their heels. Despite losing Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino to the Saudi Arabian exodus, the Reds have added World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their ranks with Moises Caicedo also seemingly on his way to Anfield, while James Maddison is perhaps the most eye-catching of Tottenham’s summer arrivals and Chelsea’s spending spree shows no signs of abating as the wounded prepare to fight back.

If Gary O’Neil felt hard done by when he was relieved of his duties at Bournemouth in June having steered the club to Premier League safety, it did not blunt his readiness to take on a challenge. The former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough midfielder was parachuted into the hotseat vacated by dissatisfied Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui after the Spaniard and the club decided to go their separate ways as a result of disagreements over recruitment. O’Neil stepped into the void with just days to prepare for Wolves’ opening fixture – a daunting trip to a rejuvenated Manchester United on Monday evening.

Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton will set foot in the top flight knowing the first and overwhelming priority is survival. Last season was the first since 2017-18 when the three promoted clubs all stayed up, with at least one having made an immediate return to the top flight at the end of each of the previous four. The Hatters last played in England’s top division in 1992, but having worked their way back from the non-league ranks in the last decade, they know all about fighting tooth and nail.

Unpopular as it may be with some, referees’ chief Howard Webb has insisted moves to eradicate time-wasting are here to stay, and that means there could be some lengthy matches this season. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester United defender Raphael Varane are among those to have questioned moves to tackle the game’s “dark arts”, as well as behaviour on and off the pitch, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. How will they feel after the weekend?

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford can take the Premier League by storm and reach the very top, according to his England Under-21 coach Joleon Lescott.

Trafford is in line for a top-flight debut on Friday against old club Manchester City, who allowed him to make the move to Turf Moor last month.

While Trafford is only 20 and has never played higher than Sky Bet League One, he starred for England during the summer to earn them European Under-21 Championship glory with a stunning stoppage-time penalty-kick save to deny Abel Ruiz in the 1-0 win over Spain.

Lescott was part of Lee Carsley’s staff for the tournament and knows the young goalkeeper from his time as loan manager at City.

TNT Sports pundit Lescott said: “James is ready for the Premier League. He is top, he is top with temperament, quality.

“I think everyone sees the quality but his temperament is he loves it, but nothing fazes him. He is not bothered by anything.

“He said it in his interview after the (Spain) game, that he knew he would save a penalty and I genuinely believe him. In no arrogant way at all, I think he is just so comfortable with his quality. He works extremely hard and is so aware of what it will take to have a top career.

“I have no doubt he will reach the very top of the game.

“Potentially he ends up back there (at Man City). But James will go on to have an exceptional career.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Traff (@jamestrafford)

Asked if Trafford could make his senior debut for England soon if he impresses for Vincent Kompany’s new boys, Lescott added: “Yeah, 100 per cent. Whatever he achieves, touch wood barring any unfortunate injuries, will not surprise me.

“I spoke to Vinny before they acquired him and I told him I’ve not seen a keeper that composed at that age, so yeah he’s very good.”

Former City defender Lescott is equally enthusiastic about how old team-mate Kompany will fare during his maiden campaign in the Premier League.

Kompany and Burnley took the Championship by storm last season, but they are odds-on to return back to the second tier ahead of Friday’s opener.

“Vinny will be prepared and nothing Vinny does will surprise me,” Lescott insisted.

“He will not leave any stone unturned. I don’t think it’ll be easy, but Vincent is a very impressive coach, a very impressive man, and a very fast learner.

“I’m sure he’ll recognise what allows Burnley to stay in the league and try to do that to the best of his capabilities.”

The fixture gods have not been kind to Burnley but while it does not get much tougher than hosting the Premier League champions, Lescott feels Pep Guardiola’s side could struggle early on after the high of clinching the treble with a first Champions League title in June.

Lescott admitted: “I think the fact that people are just assuming they can do that again, the quadruple and treble, I think it slightly underestimates what they’ve achieved and how hard that is.

“That could potentially produce a slower start to the season and (other) teams are raring to go

“I’m sure they’re the team to beat and everybody recognises that, but it can take a toll what they’ve achieved.”

: TNT Sports is the ultimate home for sports fans. You can stream TNT Sports on the discovery+ app and watch on all major TV platforms. This isn’t Just Sport, This is Everything. For more info visit: tntsports.co.uk

Burnley have completed the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford on a four-year deal.

The 20-year-old arrives at Turf Moor from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee after spending last season on loan at League One club Bolton.

Earlier this month Trafford’s heroics helped England earn European Under-21 Championship glory after he made a diving save to deny Abel Ruiz’s penalty-kick in stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory against Spain in the final.

He told the Burnley website: “I feel very happy to officially be a Burnley player. I was excited for it to all get done whilst the Euros was going on, I knew a lot about it and I was waiting to get back to make it all official really.

“I want to improve and learn as much as I can here and as a team. I just want to take it a day at a time and try and achieve as much as we can going forward.”

Burnley finished top of the Championship last season with 101 points to earn promotion back into the Premier League and manager Vincent Kompany is looking forward to seeing what Trafford can do this season.

“We’ve signed an extremely talented young man. More than just a talent he’s a great character,” Kompany said.

“James is a very impressive, confident mature young man. Most people have seen what he’s achieved in his career so far and his level of talent.

“We’re looking forward to developing that even further, making him even better. He’s done so much already and what excites us is how far he can go.”

Luton’s opening Premier League home game with Burnley has been postponed.

The match – the Hatters’ first ever Premier League game at Kenilworth Road – was due to take play on August 19.

But, with the stadium needing a dramatic £10million upgrade to make it ready for top-flight football, the Clarets’ visit is off because Luton cannot guarantee any work would not impact the game at short notice.

Luton chief executive Gary Sweet said: “The joint decision to delay this fixture is regrettable, especially given the amazing progress that continues to be made on our construction works.

“Our current programme is indeed on time, but there is no additional contingency and therefore can’t give a cast-iron guarantee at this stage that a problem outside of our control, however minor, wouldn’t force a postponement further down the line and inconveniencing supporters of both clubs.

“Although this news will be a disappointment, this will make the matchday experience even greater for fans when they do get to come back.

“We would like to thank the Premier League and Burnley for their help in arriving at this practical decision.”

The Hatters, who beat Coventry on penalties in the Championship play-off final, open their campaign at Brighton on August 12.

A Premier League statement read: “The Premier League match between Luton Town and Burnley, scheduled to take place on Saturday 19 August, will now be postponed.

“Luton Town were unable to offer the League and Burnley a guarantee that ongoing work to Kenilworth Road would not impact the scheduling of this match at late notice for supporters.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s game with Brentford, scheduled for December 23, has been postponed due to City’s involvement in the Club World Cup.

Burnley forward Michael Obafemi will miss the start of the Premier League season with a hamstring injury suffered while on international duty.

The 22-year-old tore his hamstring in the Republic of Ireland’s 3-0 win over Gibraltar and will undergo an operation later this week before beginning a rehabilitation process.

Obafemi joined the Clarets on loan from Swansea in January, and scored two goals in 14 appearances before making his move permanent earlier this month.

The injury will be a blow to Vincent Kompany’s attacking options as Burnley make their return to the Premier League.

The Clarets reportedly remain in talks to re-sign Nathan Tella from Southampton after he topped Burnley’s scoring charts with 19 goals last term.

Burnley have signed goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux on a free transfer from Leyton Orient, the newly-promoted Premier League club have announced.

The 29-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Turf Moor and becomes the Clarets’ second signing since they secured their return to the top flight.

Camden-born Vigouroux, who has previously had spells at Brentford, Tottenham and Liverpool, was a key part of the Orient side that won Sky Bet League Two last season.

Manager Vincent Kompany told the club’s website, burnleyfc.com: “We are looking forward to Lawrence being part of what we are building here at Burnley.

“He has come through top Academy systems to become the player he is today with standout performances in recent years.

“He is a very talented goalkeeper with a good personality and someone we will enjoy working with.”

Vigouroux played youth football at Brentford and Spurs before joining Liverpool in 2014. He did not break into the first-team at Anfield and joined Swindon permanently in 2016 after a successful loan spell.

Having pledged his international allegiance to Chile, for whom he qualifies through one of his parents, he later had a short stint at Everton de Vina del Mar in the South American country.

He returned to the UK and joined Orient in 2020. He has excelled for the London club since, and last season kept 24 clean sheets in their successful league campaign.

His arrival comes after Burnley’s capture of Republic of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea from West Brom.

Vigouroux said: “It’s amazing to be here, an unbelievable training ground to be a part of and I’m really happy.

“You only have to look around where we’re working and training every day. This was the right step and the right way to go. Hopefully I can leave an impression here.”