Clarets captain Graham Branch has set his sights on a first team return at Preston this weekend.

Branch has been out of action for three weeks with a nagging calf injury sustained against Reading.

But the versatile skipper hopes to boost manager Stan Ternent's options for the tricky Deepdale trip on Saturday.

Branch said: "A couple more days of training and I hope to be ready to go again.

"I just want to play because I've been in that gymnasium now for nearly three weeks. The physio has told me to take it easy because I don't want to be out for the Christmas period, but we have a few suspensions coming up, so we need all the bodies we can muster.

"I'm desperate to get back playing so I'm going to train hard this week and get myself fit for Saturday."

Branch was a frustrated spectator as Burnley's four-match unbeaten run came to a grinding halt at home to Coventry last weekend.

The former Tranmere and Stockport ace has also missed the memorable trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland, followed by a fully-deserved win over high-flying Sheffield United.

And with results like those under the belt to counteract the Sky Blues defeat, Branch insists the Clarets have absolutely nothing to fear as they gear up to face a North End side that has lost just once in nine games.

Branch added: "They (Preston) are flying at the moment, but we are in the middle of a good run other than last Saturday's result, so if we can go there with the confidence we've had recently, hopefully we can get something."

Former Burnley reserve team striker Damien Hindle has signed for Accrington Stanley.

"In many ways, this might just be the right type of game to have after a bad defeat. It happened at West Ham, when we went to Upton Park on the back of a bad little run, and things worked out really well.

"Preston is another massive game, and they have players in form like Ricardo Fuller, who is always going to cause teams untold problems with his pace.

"But even though Preston have put a good run together, we know we can go there and get a result and if we get back on the winning track again, we'll all be happy."

Hindle, who left Turf Moor earlier this season after failing to make any impact on the first team squad, impressed John Coleman and his backroom team in a series of impressive displays for the Reds second string.