Burnley's Premier League survival aspirations have been dealt a huge blow with the news that star striker Martin Paterson is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee cartilage problem.

Paterson, 22, was stretchered off in his side's 3-2 Carling Cup defeat at the hands of Barnsley on Tuesday night, and Clarets manager Owen Coyle has confirmed the injury will require an operation.

The Northern Ireland international was the top scorer at Turf Moor last season, bagging 19 goals for the Clarets as they secured promotion back to the top-flight for the first time in 33 years.

Coyle told the club's official website: "Martin tweaked a cartilage and will have surgery, at which point we'll know further how long he will be sidelined."

Another injury worry after the game was keeper Brian Jensen, though Coyle has eased those fears, confirming 'The Beast' just suffered a dead leg following a collision with Tykes defender Darren Moore.

The Scot stopped short of saying Jensen will be ready for action against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday, simply commenting "Brian could be fit for the weekend."