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Ashley Barnes will play no part for Austria in their upcoming international friendlies despite the nation's manager admitting his interest in calling the Burnley forward up.

Reports had suggested that Barnes could represent the birthplace of his grandmother instead of England at senior level after he featured for Austria's Under-20s side back in 2008.

However, Sky Sports has revealed that the 28-year-old won't be able to turn out for the main squad for the games against Slovenia and Luxembourg later in March due to the fact that he doesn't hold an Austrian passport.

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That hasn't prevents Austrian head coach Franko Foda from running the rule over Barnes in person, however, as he watched the striker help take West Ham United apart at the London Stadium last weekend.

Barnes continued his recent purple patch in front of goal with the opening strike in Burnley's 3-0 victory over the Hammers - taking his tally to seven in 32 games for the season and three in his last three appearances.

Foda admitted he had been left impressed by Barnes' physicality, eye for goal and all-round play and hinted that he would consider selecting him in the future if the Clarets ace managed to get dual nationality.

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He said: "I went to see him against West Ham at the weekend for the first time. He did a really good job by scoring a goal.

"Me and my staff were impressed. He can use either foot, is physically very present and makes a lot of good runs. He was also involved in every single offensive play. What can I say, he is a very good striker.

"It was very important for me to see him live in the flesh to judge his competitive quality. Now, there are many other details to be discussed. Is he eligible to play for Austria? When can I involve him in my plans? We will see, what the next weeks may bring.

"I talked to people about Barnes. There are several Austrian players in the Premier League. The feedback was very positive."