GET READY FOR

'MAD MARCH'

BACK IN training: Clarets skipper Steve Davis has stepped up his comeback from injury

STAN Ternent's hopes of bringing in a loan player in time for Saturday's clash with Derby County look to have been dashed.

But with a mad month of football ahead in March, he is still looking to strengthen his hand as the Clarets chase glory on two fronts.

Burnley chairman Barry Kilby explained this morning: "We have got several irons in the fire at the moment but it does not look as if anything will happen this week.

"But we are aware of the need to strengthen our squad because of all the games that are coming up next month.

"At the moment we believe we still have a chance of making the play-offs but any player we do bring in to the club has to be right."

March will be make or break in terms of any hopes the Clarets have of making a late surge up the table and into the top six.

The hectic programme kicks off a week on Saturday with a trip to Stoke City, one of five away games and three at home that will determine where the Clarets aspirations for the end of the season will lie.

Of course that fixture list may be altered if Burnley can beat Fulham next week to earn an FA Cup Final clash at Watford on the weekend when they are due to host Bradford City.

The search for loan players has taken in players such as Matt Jansen at Blackburn and Bryan Hughes at Birmingham City but there are other names in the frame.

One consideration that has not been placed high on the list is whether the targets are cup tied.

"That is not the most important thing for us and, coincidentally, all of those we have looked at have been cup-tied," said Kilby. "But it is not a case of waiting until after the Fulham replay

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to bring people in because the main thing is to have players who will do a good job for us in the league.

"Also the pressure is off a little bit as we have got players coming back from injury and that will give the manager more strength in his squad."

Three key players, skipper Steve Davis and midfielders Paul Weller and Glen Little, are starting to come back in training and Weller actually featured against Fulham at the weekend.

But with such a busy programme ahead of his side, Ternent can't afford to rush back his players and risk setting back their recovery for a number of weeks.

The games will be coming thick and fast and so it is vital that as many people as possible will be fit for the fray.

That is why there are still plans to freshen the squad up with a couple of new faces.

The BBC will be showing the quarter-final clash featuring Watford, although it has not yet decided when to screen it.

The BBC is already showing a live game on the Saturday, so the likely option is Sunday evening.

and there may still be some transfer activity next week.