Burnley FC midfielder concern raised v Sheffield Wednesday - Jonjo Shelvey may be licking his lips | OneFootball

Josh Lauren't below-par performance on Friday will have had Jonjo Shelvey licking his lips

Eyebrows were raised when Burnley moved to sign Jonjo Shelvey in the January window, but in his brief cameos so far, he's shown what he can bring to the table.

His latest cameo came in Friday night's 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, and although the scoreline probably flattered the Clarets a little, such a result was befitting of their recent uptick in performance levels.

Victory moved them a little closer to the automatic promotion places, but with some way yet to go to claw back the top two, Burnley still have to look at things and think about where they can improve.

Scott Parker himself has acknowledged that by making a few changes to his starting XI - some forced, some unforced - and one of his big ones, Marcus Edwards, made a huge difference on Friday.

The Clarets chief may now be looking at other areas of the pitch and thinking about where he can freshen things up, and there was evidence against Sheffield Wednesday which suggested that the middle of the park could be one area he could change.

Josh Laurent's Friday night performance could cost him a place in the team

Josh Laurent certainly didn't cover himself in glory on Friday night, producing arguably one of his worst performances in a Burnley shirt since making the switch from Stoke City in the summer.

There wasn't much that went right for Laurent on the night, who struggled to make an impact in midfield alongside Josh Cullen, whom he has partnered for most of the campaign.

Incredibly, on Friday night, Laurent completed just 42 passes despite playing for 80 minutes, and as a comparison to just how quiet he was, his midfield partner completed 92 - over twice as many.

Laurent isn't necessarily famed for being as good as Cullen on the ball, more for his combative nature and the way in which he can regain possession, but again on Friday night, his numbers fell well short of the levels Burnley fans have come to expect.

Of the six duels Laurent was involved in against Sheffield Wednesday, he lost five of them, and that's a worrying sign, as things like that are the bread and butter of his game and explains why he was the second-lowest rated Burnley player according to Fotmob.

He was lax in possession and was eventually punished for that when he was booked for a cynical challenge after having his pocket picked, something which, against a more clinical opponent, would almost certainly be punished.

Jonjo Shelvey is waiting in the wings

Shelvey has patiently been waiting for his opportunity on the bench, and after Laurent's dismal showing on Friday, he could well be handed that in Saturday's FA Cup tie with Preston.

The former Nottingham Forest man came off the bench against the Owls and looked every bit of the former top-flight player he used to be. He sees passes that no one else does and that could be a weapon Burnley can utilise.

Shelvey found Lyle Foster with a delightful 50-yard clip in the dying moments that the South African really ought to have finished, but it was a snapshot of everything Shelvey is good at.

With a passing range like he has, his inclusion naturally makes the opposition defence drop 10 yards because they're aware he's capable of dropping a ball on a six pence behind them.

Laurent will certainly have watched on and been concerned by Shelvey's showing, and with Josh Brownhill coming back into the fold coupled with the potential for Hannibal to drop back into his position, his spot is seemingly coming under threat.