FULHAM star Barry Hayles will be a frustrated spectator as his side takes on Burnley on Sunday afternoon - but desperate for his side to win.

The man, who has made a habit of scoring against the Clarets, is currently sidelined with a neck injury that at one time threatened his career.

But following an operation last month, he still has hopes that he may play again this season - and so he is hoping to see his team-mates keep the FA Cup dream alive.

And he warned Stan Ternent's men: "There is no chance that we will under-estimate you because we all know that it is going to be a tough match.

"It is only a couple of seasons since we played them twice in the league and they gave us two good games. Not many teams beat us that year but Burnley did and we have not forgotten it."

Hayles actually scored the opener for Fulham at Turf Moor when they lost 2-1 in their first division championship-winning season, and he also netted against the Clarets on his debut for the Cottagers after a £2million move from Bristol Rovers.

"We are all aware that Burnley have got a strong side and we are sure that they will compete well against us," he said. "We are the Premiership side and have got to start favourites, this looks like a nice home draw for us, but we are aware of what can happen in the FA Cup.

"It is a great competition, you can't beat it as it is the best in the world and so our boys will be fired up. We got to the semi-final last season and everyone wants to go further this time around.

"But Burnley have shown their ability already this season. As a lad I was a big Spurs fan and so I watched them lose at Turf Moor in the Worthington Cup when it was on telly.

"That showed that on their day Burnley are capable of beating anybody so let's hope that we don't suffer the same fate."

Hayles identified another former Bristol Rovers striker as a potential threat to the Cottagers ambitions as he said: "Gareth Taylor played against us when we lost and we know he is a big threat in the air. He puts himself about and is a real handful.

"But our manager Jean Tigana is meticulous when it comes to preparation and we have strict set piece practises and everyone will know exactly who they have to pick up and what they can do.

"He leaves absolutely nothing to chance and all the players will know what they have to do when it comes to match day."

Fulham reached the last 16 thanks to home wins against premiership rivals Birmingham City and Charlton but Hayles admitted that the switch to Loftus Road from Craven Cottage had not necessarily been a smooth one.

"A few of the fans have stayed away since we moved in the summer and there have been some disappointing gates," he said. "I am just hoping they will get behind the lads on Sunday because we know there will be a lot of Burnley fans."

Hayles is still a long way from being back in action, so he will be in the stands on Sunday, but he hopes that a return is in sight.

"When it first happened it was really painful and I could not sleep well for a few weeks," he said. "The problem was that a disc had slipped out and was rubbing against my spinal cord.

"The mistake was I kept trying to play with the injury and that just made it worse. When I stopped playing it would just seize up and finally I had to stop and get it sorted.

"My mates and my family have been saying to me that I should try and get back quickly as I might get the chance to be in a Cup Final squad - but that is a long way off yet."

Hayles will settle for a comfortable afternoon both on and off the pitch but the Clarets will be just as determined to prove they can be a metaphorical pain in the neck!