SINCE arriving at Turf Moor just over two months ago Michael Keane has played just ten minutes of football.

That brief cameo came at Leicester City, when Keane almost certainly wouldn’t have been called on had Kieran Trippier not sustained an injury late in the game.

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It’s a strange quirk of fate that had the 21-year-old stayed with his parent club Manchester United, rather than making the deadline day loan switch to Burnley, he would almost certainly have featured far more often for the Red Devils than he has for the Clarets, due to United’s ever-deepening defensive injury crisis.

Keane’s fellow England Under 21 international Nathaniel Chalobah also arrived in East Lancashire on deadline day, and the on loan Chelsea midfielder has played just over an hour of competitive football in four substitute appearances, although he did also miss a couple of games due to a throat injury.

Both Keane and Chalobah look to have exciting futures ahead of them, and the time has surely come to throw them in to the Clarets starting XI.

Both are making the step up to the Premier League for the first time after three loan spells in the Championship, but they are highly thought of and have had successful loan spells in the second tier.

Between them they have 34 Under 21 caps and both would probably have expected more action at Turf Moor than they have got so far.

It is now 10 Premier League games without a win for the Clarets and the youthful exuberance and energy of Keane and Chalobah could just be the spark required to lift performances a notch or two.

Fifteen goals have been conceded in the last five games, and defensive reinforcements are called for.

Keane, at 6ft 2ins, is strong in the air and a more commanding presence may be required at the back, considering that nine of the 19 goals conceded by Burnley this season have come from headers.

Chalobah may also add a bit more protection in front of the back four, and a more physical presence to prevent goals such as Everton’s first being conceded, when the Toffees were given time and space to move the ball from right to left at will.

Both players lack Premier League experience, but then that is true of a lot of Sean Dyche’s squad, and what they do have is experience of being around huge clubs and big players.

Dyche deserves credit for giving the players that took the Clarets up a chance in the Premier League, and none of those players have let themselves down.

But the time has surely come to give two promising youngsters a chance to see if they can bring about a change in Clarets fortunes.