Burnley must use recent lessons learned during Aston Villa clash – Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson hopes Burnley can show the lessons they learned from their recent meeting with Aston Villa when they head to Birmingham for Thursday’s crucial clash.

Unusually, both the league meetings between the clubs are taking place inside a fortnight, and the Clarets will need to put in a better performance than in their 3-1 home loss if they are to pick up the point they need to climb out of the relegation zone.

“I can’t say too much about it, but we learned a lot as a group,” said interim boss Jackson. “I learned a lot as well about myself regarding what the game was and what the game was asking.

“We know that now. We knew that on the day but you learn these little things afterwards sometimes. In the moment they don’t go the way you want them to go so you pick the bones out of it.

“There’s things we know we could have done better on the day but we still created chances. So take the good out of what we did but be a bit more wary.”

Jackson is hoping some of his injured players will be fit in time for either this match or Sunday’s final game of the season against Newcastle.

That will not include either midfielder Ashley Westwood or striker Matej Vydra, with both sidelined for a number of months.

Vydra recently underwent surgery for a cruciate ligament injury but, like Westwood and captain-turned-coach Ben Mee, has continued to help out where he can.

Jackson said: “Everybody in the whole place is trying to do their bit and, for them to see their mate coming in, hobbling around, everyone’s all in on it. That’s a big strength.

“For me that is everything, having them around. They are big characters and players so, even if they are not involved, when the group sees them, it keeps them at ease and they know they are with them