I GUESS they always say there’s never a dull week in football and despite the Clarets having a week off for the new mid-winter break, we haven’t got through it without incident.

After a couple of national newspaper reports, the club confirmed that they’d allowed Ben Gibson – a £15million signing no less – to train with his former club Middlesbrough.

Now, I don’t know the ins and outs but it all seems a bit strange doesn’t it?

Gibson has struggled for game time since arriving from Boro and he’s clearly disappointed he didn’t get a move away from the Turf prior to the transfer window ‘slamming’ shut – as it does – last month.

But it now looks like the relationship has completely broken down and we’ve got a situation that, personally, I don’t think suits anyone.

Boss Sean Dyche was coy on his future yesterday – he said ‘let’s wait and see’ when asked if Gibson would ever play for the Clarets again.

I’d go a bit further and say it was nigh-on certain we won’t ever see him in a Burnley training top, let alone a match shirt, ever again.

His ‘move’ to Boro leaves us a little short in the centre-half department and, unless there’s some loophole I’ve missed, he’s not going to be able to play for anyone else again this season.

Surely the best solution would have been for him to keep his head down, keep warming the Burnley bench and then look for a move in the summer.

A bit like Matej Vydra, I think it’s a real shame it’s not worked out for Gibson because there’s no doubting he’s a quality player.

He’s been a tad unlucky with injury at times and there have been periods when I’ve advocated for him to replace either Ben Mee or James Tarkowski in the heart of the Clarets defence when we’ve been shipping goals for fun.

He’ll clearly be looking to put what has fast become a nightmare behind him in the summer but I’ve no doubt that a move to a different club could see him get back to the position he was at when he left Boro, on the cusp of an England appearance.

From our point of view now, we’ve just got to get on with it.

Dyche clearly feels that it’s best for him not to be around the squad and we have to trust the boss on that.

There’s still plenty to do this season and he won’t want any distractions.