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In some ways the international break came just at the wrong time with the Clarets run of eight games without defeat having come to an end at Reading, but with the injury problems the rest might have just been what was needed to refresh us ahead of what looks a difficult few weeks.
And having faced Reading in our last game, a side relegated from the Premier League on the last day of last season, we probably have it more difficult with this game against another relegated club Birmingham who are currently top of the league.
A home win against Birmingham is without doubt overdue, the last time we managed it in a league game was way back in 1976 in our last ever First Division season when we won 1-0 with a Ray Hankin goal.
That was our last home win of that season and over 32 years later it remains our last ever home win in top flight football. We can't put that particular milestone to bed this weekend but it would be good to finally get another home win against them.
The 2006/07 season wasn't the best for Birmingham. There was the on/off takeover from Carson Yeung that didn't happen yet there continues to be speculation regarding it, and they lost manager Steve Bruce to Wigan in November and replaced him with Scotland boss Alex McLeish.
McLeish got off to a good start with a win at Spurs but they won only three games after the turn of the year and the 4-1 win over Blackburn on the last day of the season proved academic as they fell one point short of safety with both Fulham and Reading also winning.
They've certainly strengthened their squad since dropping down to the Championship whilst the main departures were Fabrice Muamba, Olivier Kapo and Mikael Forssell to Bolton, Wigan and Hannover respectively.
They signed Lee Carsley from Everton and he was joined by strikers Kevin Phillips and Marcus Bent who were brought in from West Brom and Charlton. To add to that there are two players with the club on loan, namely Kemy Agustien from AZ Alkmaar and former Arsenal player Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, the Ghana forward coming in from Spartak Moscow.
The season has gone as well as it could have so far with only one defeat, and that a shock defeat when they lost at home to Blackpool. The only other reverse was to Southampton in the Carling Cup.
Birmingham were also tipped as favourites to go back up and nothing has happened yet to change that forecast. This one will be a difficult game for us against possibly the best side in the division.
Birmingham have had two players on trial and it was thought that they would be taking one of them, Nigel Quashie, on loan. However, they've decided to delay a decision despite him playing in a reserve team game this week and so he will not be part of the squad.
Stephen Kelly and Damien Johnson are currently out of action with thigh and back injuries but until this midweek they were the only two players injured. Now a third can be added with Radhi Jaidi injured playing in midweek for Tunisia.
Former Blackburn defender Martin Taylor will come in for Jaidi in what otherwise is expected to be an unchanged team from that which beat QPR last time out.
Their probable line up is: Maik Taylor, Stuart Parnaby, Martin Taylor, Liam Ridgwell, David Murphy, Sebastian Larsson, Lee Carsley, Kemy Augustien, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Kevin Phillips, Garry O'Connor. Subs from: Colin Doyle, Mehdi Nafti, James McFadden, Cameron Jerome, Marcus Bent, Gary McSheffrey.
It is in defence where Owen Coyle has his worries and it is possible he'll only be able to call on one of the back four that played at Reading. Definitely out is Stephen Jordan who is serving a one match ban whilst both Michael Duff and Clarke Carlisle have not trained.
Christian Kalvenes will come in for Jordan and with Duff almost certain to be out it will mean a return to right back for Graham Alexander. The big problem is who to play in the centre should Carlisle not make it with Coyle having ruled out an emergency stint there for Chris McCann. I think Carlisle might just make it but if not then maybe he'll bring Remco van der Schaaf in at the back.
The Dutchman is back in the squad but I suspect he won't start with Kevin McDonald the most likely to come into the midfield with Joey Gudjonsson playing a deeper role.
Will Chris Eagles return? That's a poser and if he does then it will be at the expense of Steven Thompson and that is the one I'm not too sure about. I think he'll stick with Thompson for now.
he Burnley side could be: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Joey Gudjonsson, Wade Elliott, Kevin McDonald, Chris McCann, Steven Thompson, Martin Paterson. Subs from: Diego Penny, Remco van der Schaaf, Robbie Blake, Chris Eagles, Ade Akinbiyi, Jay Rodriguez.
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We'd started the season so well, particularly away from home, but had just lost twice on the road. The first was a very much undeserved defeat at Cardiff whilst there could be no complaints about the second one at West Brom.
This one proved to be a third successive defeat but it was a game where you just wondered how on earth we'd lost it. We didn't deserve to and with any luck at all would have taken all three points.
We started well enough with a goal after just four minutes. Stephen Foster, in for the suspended Frank Sinclair, hit a superb cross from the right that dropped just right for Chris McCann coming in beyond the far post to hit home.
Steve Jones came close to a second but then Birmingham drew level with a bizarre goal that Nicklas Bendtner, on loan from Arsenal, could hardly miss. Michael Duff cleared the ball but his effort cannoned off Jon Harley. It could have gone anywhere but it dropped for Bendtner who had the easiest of tasks to score.
Jones had an effort saved and then Neil Danns missed a sitter before it all settled into a somewhat drab affair for the rest of the first half.
Burnley were much the brighter side in the second half but it was Birmingham who won it with another poor goal. Bendtner got the better of both Thomas and Harley down their right but his cross was poor and straight at Brian Jensen. Unfortunately the keeper fumbled the ball and DJ Campbell, only a minute after coming on as a substitute, just needed to place the ball into the empty net to accept the gift.
There were just seven minutes left and try as we might we couldn't find an equaliser as we fell to defeat number three.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Stephen Foster, Wayne Thomas, Michael Duff, Jon Harley, Steve Jones, James O'Connor, Micah Hyde, Chris McCann (Alan Mahon 86), Gifton Noel-Williams (Kyle Lafferty 75), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Danny Coyne, John McGreal, Wade Elliott.
Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Stephen Kelly, Martin Taylor, Radhi Jaidi, Matthew Sadler, Sebastian Larsson (DJ Campbell 82), Neil Danns, Fabrice Muamba (Mehdi Nafti 75), Stephen Clemence, Nicklas Bendtner, Gary McSheffrey (Matthew Upson 90).
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
2000/01 | 1 | a | 2-3 | 19,641 | Cox Weller |
| . | . | h | 0-0 | 17,057 | . |
2001/02 | 1 | a | 3-2 | 18,426 | Little(2) I Moore |
| . | . | h | 0-1 | 13,504 | . |
2006/07 | C | h | 1-2 | 12,889 | McCann |
| . | . | a | 1-0 | 28,777 | Spicer |