Brayford stays? New striker? Burton Albion’s ideal starting XI for the start of the 2022/23 season

Burton Albion boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has been at the centre of plenty of speculation in the off-season, but a club statement confirmed that he would be remaining at the Pirelli Stadium amid talks with Barnsley.

The Brewers’ summer recruitment drive is yet to be kicked into action but with Hasselbaink seemingly staying, it’s now time for the dutchman to put all the speculation to bed and get to work on assembling the squad.

The Brewers have a big issue to sort out before anything else can happen though. Club captain John Brayford is yet to sign a new deal that the club offered him at the end of the season and the 34-year-old has been linked with old manager Nigel Clough at Mansfield Town, increasing the importance of securing a new deal for the experienced defender.

The current crop of contracted players is exciting, and it’s now time for the management team to get the best out of this young squad.

With the unorthodox summer the Brewers have had so far, player links have yet to get going. One notable position Albion really needs to sort out is a striker. Goals were hard to come by last season the addition of a clinical frontman would be a great place to start in terms of new signings.

Recent news from Scotland revealed that the Brewers are keen on St Johnstone forward Callum Hendry. The 24-year-old bagged seven goals in all competitions last season and looked a real handful.

The base of the squad looks competitive and strong with cover in most positions. If John Brayford signs a new deal, Burton Albion would only really need to potentially bring in a striker and a new goalkeeper to provide cover and competition for Ben Garratt.

Given all of the above, here’s a look at what the ideal Burton Albion starting XI could look like for the 2022/23 League One season…