Burnley defender Kevin Long has signed a new contract, days after the Corkman was ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.
The 24-year-old was given his Premier League debut at Newcastle last Thursday after captain Jason Shackell suffered an early calf injury but was carried off the pitch 20 minutes later having landed awkwardly.
Clarets boss Sean Dyche confirmed yesterday that Long had ruptured his cruciate ligament, an injury that is likely to keep him out for around nine months.
Long, who joined Burnley as a 19-year-old from Cork City, only had a contract until this summer, but he will not have to worry about his future after putting pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at the club until June 2017.
Dyche said: "He'll be looked after, as we do with our players. He just got bumped in mid-air and landed awkwardly and that was it. But we'll certainly make sure his recovery goes well."
The news of Long's injury came on the same day Sam Vokes scored his first goal since recovering from his own ruptured cruciate ligament, earning Burnley an FA Cup third-round replay against Tottenham next week.
The Burnley boss added: "It's positive for Longy that he's got somebody who's just been through it, someone to talk him through it and he knows he's got a support system in place that will get him through it.
"But obviously it is a blow to him. He got 20 minutes of Premier League football. It's what football sometimes throws at you."
