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Nicky Hayen on the possibility of Burnley losing set-piece coach to Aston Villa Nicky Hayen on the possibility of Burnley losing their set-piece coach Nicky Hayen insists Burnley will be ready if or when the club’s set-piece coach Pal Fjelde completes his move to Aston Villa. It was reported early last week that Fjelde is in talks with the Premier League outfit as a potential replacement for Austin MacPhee, who joined Chelsea last month. The Norwegian only joined Burnley last year, replacing Eliot Tybebo who left last summer and has since linked up with Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah. Hayen, speaking ahead of this Sunday’s Championship opener against West Ham, confirmed that talks are taking place. “We know that he's on speaking terms with Villa,” he said. “So we're aware of the situation and we're ready to anticipate when it happens.” Fjelde worked under Scott Parker last season as the Clarets suffered relegation from the Premier League with just 22 points to their name. Subscribe now for HALF PRICE and catch every minute of our Clarets coverage this season - from pre-season to the final whistle. Click here Burnley scored 10 goals from set pieces last term, the lowest of any top flight side. On the flipside, they conceded 22 set-piece goals, with six sides shipping more (Newcastle United, Liverpool, West Ham, Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth). Fjelde has also worked as a set-piece coach with his native Norway since 2022 and was a part of their run to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer, where they were knocked out by England. The 32-year-old previously worked as an assistant at Viborg in Denmark, having retired from playing in 2021, following spells at Bryne and a brief stay at Scottish Premier League club, St Mirren. Hayen has already spoken of his plans to develop a “bigger” backroom staff following his move from Genk this summer. The 45-year-old has been joined by his former Genk assistant Johan van Rumst on the sidelines in recent games, although his appointment has yet to be officially confirmed. It’s understood another member, likely an analyst, is likely to join him and the remainder of the existing staff, which includes Mike Jackson, Henrik Jensen, Jack Cork and Kersten Kuhl.