Burnley's Drinkwater suffers ankle injury in nightclub brawl

Burnley midfielder Danny Drinkwater is expected to miss two weeks after suffering ankle ligament damage in a fight outside a Manchester nightclub on Saturday, manager Sean Dyche said Thursday.

Drinkwater was reportedly targeted by a group of men after the Chelsea loanee allegedly made advances toward another player's girlfriend.

"(Players) are actually human beings, they do have private lives - which sometimes are not private obviously - and people do get in scrapes," Dyche told reporters.

"He's certainly old enough and wise enough to know you do whatever you can to try not to get into scrapes but sometimes it happens," the manager added.

Drinkwater has made just one appearance for Burnley this season after his Chelsea tenure was curbed by Maurizio Sarri's arrival at Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

The former Premier League winner with Leicester City made headlines in May, too, when he was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. However, Dyche said the club is committed to helping the three-time capped England international.

"When we take someone in, regardless of being on loan, he becomes part of us," Dyche said.

"It's easy to spend time with players when it's all going well and everything's rosy," he added. "But sometimes it's more satisfying sometimes to work with players when things are not quite right.

"We'll certainly continue working with him, help with his fitness, of course; help him get realigned to where he was and where he wants to be, and the only way he can do that is getting himself right, here, first of all, and getting in the team."