Clarets striker Ian Moore has launched a passionate defence of manager Stan Ternent.

Moore is the first player to publicly slam suggestions of a split in the camp following recent newspaper allegations of a training ground bust-up, which claimed players were "fed-up" with the Burnley boss.

And the £1m striker insisted everyone was pulling in the same direction ahead of Saturday's potential powderkeg derby at Preston.

Moore, 27, insisted: "Everyone who has signed for Burnley knows the gaffer is a passionate man and if you didn't want that in a manager you wouldn't have signed in the first place.

"I knew he was a fiery character when I joined, but at the end of that day that fire equals passion and that's possibly the biggest strength because if you took that away from him, he wouldn't be half the manager.

"He wants to do well and he instils that into the players as well."

Moore added: "As for the newspapers suggesting there is a divided squad, it's totally wrong because we're all in this together trying to get results."

Burnley players now hope the matter will be buried once and for all as the Clarets go in search of Christmas cheer with victory over their Lancashire rivals.

Ternent could even have the rare luxury of a full squad to select from, other than long-term injury victim Alan Moore who is still at least a fortnight away from action following recent surgery.

And Moore reckons the Clarets will soon be back in the ascendancy following the stutter of last weekend's home defeat to Coventry.

He added: "Preston is a game to really look forward to because we seem to have done okay against the top teams.

"I don't know whether it's all in the mind, but it's always the so-called lesser sides we've struggled against.

"But when you look at it, we have played a lot of the top teams away, so we will be looking forward to getting them back to Turf Moor in the second half of the season and hopefully turning it on against them."

Meanwhile, North End are hopeful of their biggest crowd of the season for the visit of Burnley.

Over 18,000 fans turned up at Deepdale for the opening day clash with West Ham back in August. But with around 3,000 Clarets fans making the short trip on Saturday lunchtime, North End officials expect another bumper crowd.

Preston chairman Derek Shaw said: "We have given Burnley the whole of the Kop on police advice and tickets for the game are selling very well.

"I think we should have well over 17,000, if not around 18,000."