PAUL Gascoigne will make his eagerly awaited debut at a packed Turf Moor tonight as manager Stan Ternent admitted: "This is without doubt my most difficult selection of the season."

Gazza will come into a side that has won two games on the bounce to go fourth in the first division and Ternent is delighted to have such a selection dilemma ahead of the clash with Bradford City

"It has taken me the best part of four seasons to get a squad this strong," he said, reflecting on the fact that influential winger Glen Little and £1million man Robbie Blake were on the bench against Preston North End.

"As we get Gareth Taylor back from suspension and lads back from injury like Steve Davis, Graham Branch, Gordon Armstrong and Lennie Johnrose we have got a very strong squad.

"It is always a sign of the strength of a team if you have got a lot of very good players who are not even stripped. That is a terrific situation for a manager."

But it is the man in the number 34 shirt who has sent the whole of the town football crazy this week and Ternent is delighted with his impact already.

"He is a natural athlete and Paul's in great shape," he enthused after training. "He's one of the best footballers this country has ever produced and has probably been one of the world's greatest players.

"We had Ian Wright, one of the best goalscorers this country has ever known. Now we have Paul Gascoigne.

"I have had a feel of the buzz around the place and it has given everyone a massive lift.

"It is not a financial gamble from our point of view because Paul is not on massive wages, that couldn't be further from the truth.

"Paul's come here to play football and the financial implications aren't of great importance to him.

"He wanted to come here and play football week inn and week out and that is what he will do."

Gascoigne has already indicated he might be prepared to stay on at the club next season but Ternent knows that neither the player nor the club can be looking any further ahead than the seven games that are definitely left this season, staring with the visit of the Bantams tonight.

"If he wants one more season he will do but Paul will govern the situation, let's cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "If he likes it here and all the rest of it why not?"

Burnley could move above West Brom and into third place tonight if they get something out of the game but Ternent has his eyes set firmly on a typical end of season surge.

Just as slumps around the New Year have become customary a return to form come March is also normal and he admitted: "I certainly hope so.

"We work all the time through pre-season and then through the season itself and when we do get a break everyone is off. But the fitness levels are always good."

The one key doubt tonight surrounds the participation of skipper Steve Davis who has been struggling with a calf strain. "We don't want to take unnecessary risks and Mitchell Thomas has come in and done well," he said.

"Paul Weller was going to have a knee operation but that has been put back because he has seemed to be okay. It does swell up and needs an ice pack but we will see if there is any more reaction.

"David Johnson is also okay after his debut, he is a strong lad."

Strength of mind as well as body will be needed in the coming weeks as Ternent listed the main play-off rivals.

"Apart from Wolves and Man City you have got Birmingham, Burnley, Coventry, Milwall and West Brom going for it.

"But there are still 21 points left to go for, and that's a lot so someone could still come out of the pack.

"It's our aim to win every game, so we finish in the play-offs at worst. We've got to keep plugging away because we know 67 points is not enough at the moment," "

Ternent will be without Taylor, serving the final match of his two game suspension for the match, but Johnson and Ian Moore both did well on Sunday and scored into the bargain.

That said, he may be tempted to change his system to incorporate the mercurial skills of Gascoigne. Little, Blake, Arthur Gnohere and others are all desperate to taste the big match atmosphere as well so no wonder the manager feels it is his toughest decision this campaign.

But he will not have lost sleep over it last night as he explained: "I will pick what I think is the best team for the match."

The fans are hoping they can put their No 34 shirt on Gazza being in the starting line-up.