TWO Clarets stars will be having operations next month as they look to get fully fit for the start of pre-season.
Ian Moore and Paul Weller were both key figures in Stan Ternent's side this season and, following the disappointment of missing out on a play-off spot, they are desperate to be right for next season.
"I have got to have a hernia operation," explained Moore who equalled his best ever total of 14 goals in a season.
"I have had one before but need another one and now is a good time to have it. It has been a hard season and I need a rest.
"I will have a couple of weeks break before I have the operation and then it is a case of keeping ticking over. I will come in and do some work to get myself right for pre-season."
Moore's tireless running was a feature of last season and it is little wonder that he needs a rest having covered miles in the Clarets cause.
Weller's need for a knee operation has been known for some time and several weeks ago manager Stan Ternent admitted that he would be going under the knife at the end of the season.
The disappointingly early finish means that will be sooner rather than later and the 26-year-old midfielder explained: "The sooner I can have my knee operation the better. If we played on a Saturday it would swell up on the Sunday and Monday and then settle down."
"Now the season has finished I am going to have the operation that I need in the next couple of weeks and that will give me the summer to get myself fully fit for the start of the season."
The run-in was a time of great frustration for Weller as he was not able to play as big a role as he wanted to and he explained: "I had a chat with the gaffer a few weeks ago and he knew that in normal circumstances I would have an operation.
"But he told me that he wanted me to be involved and we thought we'd get through the five weeks. He was leaving me on the bench for some games but I played 60 minutes against Preston and got through the full 90 minutes against Coventry.
"He asked me how I felt and I knew I would have a full week to recover if we did get into the play-offs but sadly we didn't."
Another Burnley player who will be keen to work hard on his fitness throughout the summer is versatile Graham Branch who struggled for most of last season with a variety of problems.
And £1million striker Robbie Blake will hope to start his Turf Moor career afresh after a summer putting his injury problems behind him.
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