With Bafana Bafana touched down at home soil this morning, in England Burnley boss Scott Parker is keen to welcome South African striker Lyle Foster and Tunisian Midfielder Hannibal Mejbri back into the fray after they were knocked out of Africa Cup of Nations.
Burnley could receive a timely double boost ahead of Wednesday night’s Premier League clash with Manchester United, as Parker looks to bolster his options following the Clarets’ latest injury and availability concerns.
Hannibal has already returned to Turf Moor and was back on the training pitch on Tuesday morning, putting himself firmly in contention to face his former club. Foster who has scored two goals in 13 appearances for the team, is due to arrive back in England following Bafana Bafana’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, although Parker admitted the forward’s long journey may impact his involvement.
“Hannibal will come back,” Parker explained at his pre-match press conference. “He came back this morning and trained this morning so, hopefully, we’ll have him available. Lyle will fly in tonight, it’s long travel, so we’ll see how he gets in and whether he’ll be available tomorrow.
“Everyone else, it’s how we were really.”
The potential return of Foster would be particularly significant for Burnley, with the striker expected to add much-needed pace and goal threat as the Clarets continue their fight to climb out of the relegation zone. Hannibal’s energy and intensity in midfield could also prove vital against a United side pushing for European qualification.
Burnley head into the midweek fixture six points adrift of safety, but victory over the Red Devils at Turf Moor would cut that gap and provide a major lift in the opening home game of 2026.
Parker’s options remain limited, however, with Axel Tuanzebe still away on international duty and Maxime Esteve battling to be fit. Josh Cullen is a long-term absentee, while Zeki Amdouni, Joe Worrall, Zian Flemming, Jordan Beyer and Connor Roberts all remain sidelined.
Despite the challenges, Parker is hopeful his side can rise to the occasion in front of the home support as Burnley look to kick-start the new year with a crucial Premier League result.
Meanwhile, Darren Fletcher has revealed that Manchester United hope to welcome Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount back into the squad for the game.
Under-18s coach Fletcher is taking charge following the departure of Ruben Amorim on Monday morning.
During a press conference held at Carrington, he said “Mason and Bruno were pushing to play against Leeds United. The decision was that they weren’t quite ready, so they’ve trained,” he said.Fletcher did state that their minutes would need to be managed, with another game to come at the weekend, the Emirates FA Cup third-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
“They should be back in the squad, but they’ll be on managed minutes as well, restricted minutes because obviously they’ve just returned to training.”
