STEVE Cotterill is refusing to be swept away on the tide of optimism following the Clarets unbeaten start to the season.

Upbeat Clarets fans are again set to flock to Turf Moor for tomorrow's tasty clash with promotion favourites Wolves.

But Cotterill warned supporters they face their toughest test yet against Dave Jones' side, despite the Midlanders having a horrendous injury list.

"Wolves are a very good side, and it's certainly going to be a difficult game for us because we will always be the challenger this season," Cotterill insisted.

"We won't be the favourites - we will always be the challenger in our eyes.

"We have to be up for it and Wolves have to have a little bit of an off-day for us to secure all the points."

Cotterill appreciates he has made something of a rod for his own back by fuelling the feelgood factor in the Clarets camp with that impressive start.

But it is a burden he is happy to carry on his shoulders so long as his team keeps on performing.

"I hope I carry on creating that rod, I suppose," he admitted. "I would rather win and keep winning because it just makes everything else so much easier.

"But that's what every manager aims for every Saturday - to win the game."

You assess the game in your own mind as it's going on and with five minutes to go, you take what you've got.

"If we're drawing, and lucky to be drawing, then we'll hang on and keep what we've got. If we're in the ascendancy, then the crowd and the players will carry that on anyway so you don't need to worry too much about that.

"We've had a good start, but it's better to have a good start when you're a new manager at a club than a bad one." Wolves could be without as many as 10 players as they seek their first win of the season following an inauspicious start.

But Cotterill insists the cream always rises to the top - and fully expects Wanderers to be challenging for honours next May.

He added: "I'm not worried about a backlash from them. I'm just making sure we play to our potential.

"We may be at home, but this will be a difficult game without a shadow of doubt They've got some very good players and, although they have an injury list as long as your arm, you still look at the team sheet and think, 'I wouldn't mind a few of those'.

"They've been there and established for a few years, and there are yardsticks for us every week. This is just the latest." Burnley have no injury worries and goalkeeper Danny Coyne is expected to recover from his ankle problem to take his place between the posts.

And Coyne is hoping for a double celebration after being named in Mark Hughes' 27-man Welsh squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland, for whom Michael Duff has been placed on stand-by.