Jordan Beyer made a welcome return for Burnley’s Under-21s today - as he nears almost three years on the sidelines.

The defender played the first 45 minutes as Andy Farrell’s side played out a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Gawthorpe.

Mike Tresor and Enock Agyei also featured from the start.

The German hasn’t made a competitive appearance since December 2023, when he was forced off with a knee injury in a game against Aston Villa.

It means 1,044 days have passed since the centre-back last took to the pitch.

Beyer did, however, briefly return in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly against Fleetwood Town in the summer of 2025.

But the 26-year-old, who was forced to undergo two surgeries, has not been seen since, having suffered a number of complications during his recovery, including hamstring issues.

It had even been mooted that Beyer might be forced into an early retirement, so it came as a surprise last month when he posted a picture of himself in training to his Instagram account.

Speaking after the win at Watford, former Burnley boss Nicky Hayen revealed Beyer could make a long-awaited return in 2027.

“So Jordan came back after a long rehab,” he explained. “But step by step, he's making progress.

“I think it still takes until January before he's back 100 per cent, but, of course, if you can do it in an environment where you like to be and with the players around you, it's also better.

“The way how he trains is actually quite okay, but he still has a lot of work.”