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Before the game, Burnley manager Scott Parker confirmed Hannibal was fit but he had chosen to leave out the Tunisia midfielder to protect him from the spotlight.<\/p>\n
Parker told BBC iPlayer before kick-off: “As I said earlier in the week in the press conference, fundamentally I need to protect Hannibal and making sure of the right decision.<\/p>\n
“It has been a tough decision and we come here a bit weakened today because Hannibal is a vitally important member of this squad, and I felt it was the best decision for Hannibal.<\/p>\n
“I wouldn’t want to put him in a situation here, so we have made the decision for the best for Hannibal. That is why he is not in the matchday squad.”<\/p>\n
Asked whether the decision was made after speaking with Hannibal, Parker said: “It was mainly my decision. Hannibal was selectable today but he is a young boy that experienced something here only a few weeks ago and I just made that decision to keep him out of here and we have another game on Tuesday.”<\/p>\n
The Football Association (FA) is currently investigating the incident between Osmajic and Hannibal. If found guilty, Osmajic faces a minimum ban of six games.<\/p>\n
Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said he had not considered the idea of leaving Osmajic out. Asked at his pre-match media conference whether he was taking an approach of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, Heckingbottom replied: “Yes, exactly – 100%.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n