Are Burnley already resigned to relegation?

Burnley are missing Sam Vokes

It has not been a great start to the season for Burnley to say the least, are they already doomed to be a one-season Premier League club?

Following their thumping defeat at West Brom on Sunday, Burnley look a side set for a long, fruitless struggle in the Premier League.

Can the Clarets save their season or do they already have the look of a condemned team?

Sean Dyche would have been relatively pleased with his side's opening five games in the Premier League.

The fixture computer was far from kind, sending Chelsea and Manchester United as the first visitors to Turf Moor.

They took the lead against the Blues but were beaten in straightforward fashion.

A point against Louis van Gaal's team represented the high point of the season to date while they showed a deal of promise during in the 1-0 reverse at Swansea.

They followed the stalemate with United by picking up draws against Crystal Palace and Sunderland, looking resolute in the process.

The 4-0 reverse at the Hawthorns once more exposed the limitations of Dyche's side once they are faced with a deficit.

Burnley have now gone a whopping 526 minutes of Premier League football without a goal, stretching back to Scott Arfield's surprise opener against Chelsea.

Rooted to the foot of the table after the Hawthorns reversal, the Burnley boss admits his side need to learn fast.

"We never got started and never got to grips with the game at all. It's a real low day for us performance-wise," Dyche declared.

"There is a reality to it, we've seen results like this in the Premier League and it's happened to us and it's important we grow and learn from it very, very quickly."

Summer signing Lukas Jutkiewicz has been leading the line, but in truth Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster was not seriously tested on Sunday.

Dyche's plight has not been helped with the loss of first-choice strikers Sam Vokes and Danny Ings.

Ings picked up a hamstring injury during the draw at Crystal Palace while Vokes has yet to kick a ball this season after rupturing his cruciate ligament in March.

The duo combined for 47 goals last term, and Burnley are in desperate need of seeing them back in action.

Vokes is still some way off a return, with Ings likely to be back for the visit of West Ham in three weeks.

Before that comes a trip to Leicester next Saturday.

If Burnley are to make a fist of survival they need to get some goals - and wins - on the board soon.